Hounds chased the hare across the grassy knolls of the manor grounds. Horsemen followed the braying dogs, hooves pounding the loose turf, keeping a breakneck pace through the trees and brush. White fur was smeared with loose leaves and dirt, a badge of the chase.
The rabbit, running with great alacrity, curved in a path back to the manor. Alice heard the hounds braying grow closer, instead of farther, saw the horse's long legs, even in the distance, wheel. Excited shouts bellowed from the mustached men, reins and riding crops slapped against their poor beasts. Through the window, Alice watched.
Rabbit feer bounded through the bushes that separated the Manor grounds from the wild moorland. It leapt over a log right in front of the clear pane of glass, and glistening eyes shone. She remembered with a sudden intensity, the Rabbit, his stuttering words of comfort, his pocket-watch and handkerchief extended to her use.
A hound was hot on the heels of the rabbit, and with a sudden lunge, pitched its teeth into its white fur. With a spasm of pain, the rabbit fell into the gravel drive. Eyes behind the glass widened and cheeks paled with a shocked gasp.