WAGER WITH MR. EDGEWORTH 87 



be superfluous. Mr. Edgeworth asked at what time 

 he expected to know the winner. 'About nine o'clock,' 

 replied his lordship. Edgeworth then asserted his 

 abiHty to name the winner at four o'clock in the after- 

 noon. This appeared so incredible that his lordship 

 expressed his doubts of Mr. Edgeworth's ability. He 

 thereupon laid Lord March £500 he would name the 

 winner at five o'clock on the day of the race. Sir 

 Francis Delaval, who was present, went 'another' 

 £500 on Mr. Edgeworth's side; Lord Eglinton and 

 others did the same. 



The following day the wagerers met at the Turf 

 Coffee House to reduce their bet to writing; and 

 this having got wind, they were quickly supported 

 by friends of both opponents; while Mr. Edge- 

 worth and his party offered to double his stakes. 

 But Mr. Edgeworth's candour spoiled a lesson to 

 Lord March (who wondered where Edgeworth was 

 going to obtain his winged horses) by stating that 

 he did not rely on horses to acquaint him with 

 the name of the victor ; whereupon Lord March 

 and his friends wisely declined the wager, 



Mr. Edgeworth was going to adopt means after- 

 wards improved upon and used for Government pur- 

 poses — a semaphore apparatus. 



