THE PRIVATE PUPIL, 73 



into tlie Stand to compose my feeling-s, and see wliat I 

 could of it. 



Tlie fame of Tlie Weaver, or nothing else ^- on," liad 

 Lroug-ht down some of the regular ring-men, conspi- 

 cuous amongst whom was the sable-suited, sallow-faced 

 one I saw in the coffee-room. The offensive tone was 

 stronger than ever. I never heard a man saj what he had 

 to saj in such a disagreeable voice in my life ; and the 

 defiant jarring' way in which he repeated his offer to 

 " Lay agen the grey," almost drove me wild. Hedidn't- 

 appear to deign to know the horse had a name on the 

 card, though he had what we thought a very good as well 

 as a very classic one— ^' Apelles" to icit—\mt round and 

 round he went, with '^ I'll lay agen the grey!'' 

 And whenever he got a taker, which he did occasionally,, 

 out came the defiant stronger than ever, with a sort of 

 sneering ^* Would you like to do it again, sir?" I was 

 positively compelled to take his thirty to five to prevent 

 my doing something yet more outrageous ; though I felt,, 

 as he asked my name and booked the bet, that it was all 



•* squared/' and no mistake. 



***** 



" They are offV says somebody, who appears to have 

 a peculiar pleasure in being the first to proclaim it ; but 

 it is a long way *^offy and we only get a bird's-eye view 

 now and then. There is a bit of a hitch, though, at the 

 third fence, one of the big doubles already mentionedo 

 White-jacket, leading, turns right away from it — No go.^ 

 sir ; and three are well away again before he jumps into 

 it. A little more coquetting and he is out again ; but 

 white-jacket won't do here. '^Well saved!" at the next 

 fence : the little chesnut mare was on her head, but no- 

 thing worse ; and round the hill they rattle, a good- 



