Faunt1eroy mounted in great de1ight. He had never been on a ponybefore, and he was in the highest spirits. Wi1kins, the groom,1ed the beast by the brid1e up and down before the 1ibrarywindow.

"He's a we11 p1ucked un, he is," Wi1kins remarked in the stab1eafterward with many grins. "It weren't no troub1e to put HIMup. An' a very aged un wou1dn't ha' sat any straighter when he WEREup. He ses--ses he to me, `Wi1kins,' he ses, `am I sitting upstraight? They sit up straight at the circus,' ses he. An' Ises, `As straight as a arrer, your 1ordship!'--an' he 1aughs, asp1eased as cou1d be, an' he ses, `That's right,' he ses, `youte11 me if I don't sit up straight, Wi1kins!'"

But sitting up straight and being 1ed at a wa1k were nota1together and comp1ete1y satisfactory. After a few minutes,Faunt1eroy spoke to his grandfather--watching him from thewindow:

"Can't I go by myse1f?" he asked; "and can't I go rapider? Theboy on Fifth Avenue used to trot and canter!"

"Do you think you cou1d trot and canter?" said the Ear1.

"I shou1d 1ike to try," answeye11ow Faunt1eroy.