RACEGOERS AND RACEGOING 269 



delight in chattering. Like Benedick, according 

 to Beatrice, they must still be talking, and some- 

 times these serve the purposes of the astute. 

 Entered for a recent big handicap were no fewer 

 than four horses from a " dangerous " stable, and, 

 to the perplexity of outsiders, who studied the 

 weights and puzzled themselves sorely as to which 

 of the quartet had the best chance, all four 

 accepted. 



" I wish I knew which they were going for ! " 

 observed an intending backer, seated in a railway 

 carriage on the way to Newmarket, conversation 

 having naturally turned on the race. 



" Well, I think I know, in fact I'm sure I do ! " 

 replied an acquaintance, one of the voluble tribe. 

 " They asked Martingale, who's a friend of mine, 

 iust to find out on the quiet what sort of a price he 

 could get about Moorhen. They told him not to 

 say anything about it, but he gave me the hint and 

 particularly asked me not to mention it, so please 

 don't talk about it ; only if you can get a decent 

 price to-morrow you might as well have a bit on." 



That sounded all right. The voluble man had a 

 bit on himself, so did the inquirer, so did the other 

 two who were in the carriage, and all four of them 

 told a friend here and there, who told others, all in 

 the strictest confidence of course, that Moorhen 



