nAKiiY dale's soliloquy. 55 



favourite out-an'-out, and up with their 'ats and Jiooray like 

 what's-o'-clock when it comes off all right ; but it won't do for 

 this child, seein' that the boot is particularly often on the 

 t'other leg. / must make the business steadier than that, if I'm 

 to take the shine out of their blackin' at Newmarket." 



My youthful attendant paused in his soliloquy, and nibbled 

 the nail of a thumb close to the quick. 



*' There must be no luck in the trade," at length resumed he, 

 with the same thoughtful expression. " Luck may be rosy for 

 a time; but she never lasts that colour long. Now, having 

 settled the point so far that spinnin' a co^^per, and callin' 'ed, is 

 precious likely to turn up tail, let's see how I can rig the brown 

 so as to have a couple o' 'eds, when I go in for a game o' pitch- 

 an'-toss." 



Harry Dale folded his arms across his breast, and, stretch- 

 ing out his legs, stared at the ceiling immediately above his 

 head. 



" There can be no certainty," continued he, " of the fastest 

 flyer that ever was dropped bein' landed a winner until his 

 number's up and his jockey's scaled. There you stand," and he 

 pointed to me as he spoke, " a race-oss, and the guv'nor says 

 the colt's not foaled that can beat ye. You carry the stable- 

 money for the Darby, and therefore I needn't say are meant, 

 because ' meant' means the money's on. So far so good. But 

 supposin' a change in the weather brings on a cold ; supposin', 

 when you take your next ' pipe-opener,' you pull up as lame as 

 a tree ; supposin' you get cast and rick yer back, or a change o' 

 "water, just a day or two before you're brought out for that 

 event, gives ye a touch o' the wishy washy willywabbles — where 

 shall we all be then, I should like to be informed ?" 



Harry l^rought the palm of a hand upon his forehead with 

 a loud crack as if the thought required counter-irritation. 



"Put in the hole, by !" added he. "These nateral 



risks, so to speak," continued Harry, with a shake of the head, 

 *' are thick enough, let alone the sops held out for the nobblin' 

 purfession, which is up to every dodge to get at a 'oss ; and so 

 ■we may see, without lookin' through our grandmother's specta- 



