In any case, I am certain she has more regard
for me than any other being in the universe."
"Who can have any regard for you," said the lady very gently,
in utter mistake of his meaning, "if you have no command of your
temper? You must learn to rule yourself first."
"That's true, my lady; and so long as my mare is not able to be a
law to herself, I must be a law to her too."
"But have you never heard of the law of kindness? You could do so
much more without the severity."
"With some natures I grant you, my lady, but not with such as she.
Horse or man--they never show kindness till they have learned
fear. Kelpie would have torn me to pieces before now if I had taken
your way with her. But except I can do a great deal more with her
yet she will be nothing better than a natural brute beast made to
be taken and destroyed."
"The Bible again!" murmured the lady to herself. "Of how much
cruelty has not that book to bear the blame!"
All this time Kelpie was trying hard to get at the lady's horse to
bite him. But she did not see that. She was much too distressed--
and was growing more and more so.
"I wish you would let my groom try her," she said, after a pitiful
pause. "He's an older and more experienced man than you. He has
children. He would show you what can be done by gentleness.
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