MR. COPPERTHWAITE HOODWINKED 329 



chance, in the next trial I borrowed of Mr. Copperthwaite 

 his old mare Twilight. She had just run second in the 

 Fitzwilliam Stakes at Doncaster, with a large and good 

 field behind her ; and I therefore could rely on her form 

 to show me if Bevis and Schism had speed enough to be 

 trustworthy trial tackle. I knew they could stay. He 

 lent me the mare unconditionally. Subsequently, how- 

 ever, to my very considerable annoyance, as upsetting all 

 my plans, he said he would like to see the trial, and 

 rather than not have the mare, I consented. I adopted, 

 however, altered tactics; for in order to be sure of 

 Twilight's form, in case she beat the other two, I put 

 Bevis in a stone lighter than otherwise I should have 

 done. We tried a mile and three-quarters, the course 

 Sutherland had run at Doncaster so well just before, and 

 they finished in the following order : 



Bevis, 4 yrs., 5 st. 5 Ib. 1 



Schism, 4 yrs., 8 st. 2 



Ttvilight, 4 yrs., 8 st. 7 Ib. - 3 



Sutherland, 3 yrs., 6 st. 4 



Won by ten lengths, half a length, and a neck. At this 

 result I thought Mr. Copperthwaite would have gone 

 frantic with excitement. He jumped, he shouted in his 

 Irish brogue some incoherent words. He raised his 

 clasped hands on high, and waved his hat in the air in 

 the same idiotic manner. Then he came quietly and 

 whispered in my ear, ' The Cesare witch is over.' 



Throughout this time I had been utterly at a loss to 

 make out what it was that so excited him. But now the 

 truth dawned upon me, and I at once fell in with his 

 humour and my own views, and said most earnestly, and 

 in the greatest confidence : 



1 You won't divulge it, I am sure.' 



1 Why,' he replied, ' surely you can trust me ?' 



