CLUB SOCIABILITY 



it would only take us five minutes and — a drink would 

 go so well." " No," he snapped, with a merry twinkle 

 in his eye ; " nowhere at all. I wouldn't have a drink 

 if we stopped, nor if it was here. And you boys don't 

 want one either. We shall be in London in less than 

 an hour and three-quarters, and we'll keep it until 

 we arrive." " But," I protested, " if we want a drink 

 and you don't — isn't it rather hard on us ? " " We 

 are all much better without it. I have got you now," 

 and he laughed. On we sped, but by the way we were 

 looking at our watches and the milestones it was 

 inevitable that some of us were thinking of the glass 

 that was to be filled on arrival. Said I : " Sure you 

 wouldn't have a drink, Frank?" "Not a drop; not 

 if you could offer me the finest ever." " That's all 

 right," I replied ; " then there's all the more for Marsh 

 and me." And I pulled out a flask of Napoleon brandy, 

 and we toasted Frank, who turned his head away. 



He used to run down to the club at Newmarket on 

 occasions, and while he saw that, under the conditions, 

 it was not likely to go on, he was very appreciative of 

 everything which had been done to make it successful. 

 Curzon has been a friend to more men than could be 

 reckoned by putting up the hands a dozen times. Like 

 Pinero he was an actor once, but there was not enough 

 money in it for either of them. Why ? 



In all the talk there is about the comforts of French 

 racing compared with that in England, and there is 

 certainly an argument in favour of the former, it is 

 chiefly on account of French courses being so acces- 

 sible to Paris — in most cases every course is reached 

 by an easy carriage journey. There is a lot to say, 

 however, for the sociability on English tracks. The 

 club enclosure is, as I have mentioned above, a real club, 

 where every sort of thing can be discussed, and we can 



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