THE RETURN MATCH. 



in the Redmarshall Cup, a handsome piece of plate, the desire 

 to possess which sufficed to make the race for it one of the 

 most exciting local events of what Turf reporters would term the 

 fixture. 



It was the day of slow travelling ; and the meeting was too 

 good an opportunity for social enjoyment not to be made the 

 most of when it did come round, which, after all, was only once 

 a year. It was then a race of hospitality on the part of Win- 

 penny, Wolviston, Lord Hart, the leading doctor and lawyer of 

 Redmarshall, and many others. The Hurst, however, was the 

 head-quarters of the choicer spirits of the meeting. Apart from 

 the fact that he was a steward (as his father and grandfather had 

 been before him), he owned a small stud of horses ; and he 

 generally supplied a strong favourite for the Cup. 



' Win.,' observed Ralph Freeman, Esq., of Thistleby Hall, a 

 friend of thirty years' standing, and an out-and-out sportsman, 

 * I look upon myself as an ill-used personage.' 



'How's that, Ralpho?' replied the host, at the same time 

 casting a glance around the table, and signalling to a reverend 

 guest the fact that the bottle lingered. ' How is that ?' 



' Well, here we are about to celebrate the obsequies of Red- 

 marshall Races — ' 



* No, no, no, no !' protested the host and several of the guests. 

 ' Not a bit of it !' 



' You will admit that it is the last meeting on the old spot — 

 where you are to find another, I don't know — and that it ought 

 therefore to be uncommonly good.' 



' So it will be,' interposed the Tory member for Redmarshall, 

 another steward. 



' I beg leave to deny it ; and this is my grievance. Not only 

 is the entry for the Cup wretchedly small, but neither Win. here, 

 nor Lord Hart, nor Sir Thomas Acklam is represented. I wanted 

 to see one of the old-fashioned fights to wind up with. It does 

 one's heart good to hear them shout when a native bred 'un sails 

 past in front. Upon my word, if I had suspected there would 

 have been s^'ch a falling off in the grand old race, I would have 

 entered something myself.' 



There was a general laugh at this last remark. Squire Free- 

 man's name was not associated with uniform good fortune on the 

 Turf ; far otherwise. 



* What could I do ?' asked Winpenny. ' The mare was amiss ; 

 and until it was too late I did not find out that Crowfoot had 



