AMUSING EPISODES 337 



to state what the King had said, he replied that the 

 remark was, " Get out of the way ! " 



I don't think it amounted to that in my case indeed 

 I am sure that it did not but what I wrote is a sample 

 of what Mr Jorrocks would call "good awoidance." 



I call to mind several amusing episodes in the racing 

 career of King Edward. I was on the race-course side 

 that morning of the Craven week when Persimmon 

 was galloped alongside the flat and badly beaten by 

 two Platers. The Prince's cob was standing by, and 

 supposed, like all well-trained cobs at Newmarket, to 

 never dream of moving off, but the defeat of Persimmon 

 appeared to upset him badly, and away he went across 

 the Heath kicking up his heels and pursued by Marsh 

 and Lord Marcus Beresford on their hacks. A tout 

 eventually caught him and he was brought back, but it 

 was a disconcerting morning's work. 



There was one occasion, after his Coronation, when 

 King Edward had reached Newmarket by train, and, 

 through some misunderstanding, a carriage was not 

 there to meet him, whereupon he got into an ordinary 

 fly and drove off, with whoever was in attendance, to 

 the Jockey Club rooms. It is almost inconceivable that 

 anybody at Newmarket should not know the King by 

 sight, but that driver did not, and when his Majesty 

 got down and walked hastily to the rooms, the man ran 

 after him, under the impression that he was going to be 

 " bilked." Of course he was quickly stopped and paid, 

 nor if still alive is he at all likely to have forgotten 

 what an absurd mistake he made. 



One of his Majesty's most loyal subjects during all 

 his lifetime was " Old Kate," but in the excitement of 

 that feeling she did not study her words "Good old 



