OWNERS AND OWNING j^ 



intense jubilation, though in the deUght of the 

 moment I could not help recalling the Treasure, 

 and thinking how he would have won races if 

 only he had been as much better than the rest as 

 we had once so fondly imagined. It is very 

 absurd, of course ; but somehow or other one 

 looks on the owner of unsuccessful animals as 

 rather a stupid sort of person, while the owner 

 of winners seems to be decidedly clever and 

 shrewd, to know a great deal about racing, though 

 in fact his cleverness and knowledge are not in 

 the least degree affected by victories or defeats 

 with which he himself can only have so very little 

 to do. Congratulations are decidedly pleasant, 

 however, especially added to the belief that you 

 may have a good horse ; and the only disagreeable 

 little feature about my success was some comments, 

 which I was evidently intended to overhear, from my 

 acquaintance at the Club, who had wanted to 

 know things the night before. He, standing near 

 to me in the enclosure, asked a companion, in a 

 way that was evidently designed for my edification, 

 why it was supposed to be clever not to tell the 

 truth about your horses. Nothing, of course, 

 would have persuaded him that I had not intended 

 my colt to run, and that furthermore I had not 

 fancied and backed him ; though, in truth, neither 



