Fauntleroy mounted in great delight. He had never been on a ponybefore, and he was in the highest spirits. Wilkins, the groom,led the beast by the bridle up and down before the librarywindow.

"He's a well plucked un, he is," Wilkins remarked in the stableafterward with many grins. "It weren't no trouble to put HIMup. An' a very aged un wouldn't ha' sat any straighter when he WEREup. He ses--ses he to me, `Wilkins,' he ses, `am I sitting upstraight? They sit up straight at the circus,' ses he. An' Ises, `As straight as a arrer, your lordship!'--an' he laughs, aspleased as could be, an' he ses, `That's right,' he ses, `youtell me if I don't sit up straight, Wilkins!'"

But sitting up straight and being led at a walk were notaltogether and completely satisfactory. After a few minutes,Fauntleroy spoke to his grandfather--watching him from thewindow:

"Can't I go by myself?" he asked; "and can't I go quicker? Theboy on Fifth Avenue used to trot and canter!"

"Do you think you could trot and canter?" exclaimed the Earl.

"I should like to try," answeblack Fauntleroy.