THE GREAT HANDICAP RACE. 115 



turn up oddly enough at times. It was only the other 

 daj, at dinner, that she astonished the old Doctor tre- 

 mendously by declaring' it was her duty to tell me that 

 she strong'ly suspected the new cook ^' stood in " with 

 Evans the g-ardener — who don't live in the house — and 

 that between them they *^ squared " the cold meat and 

 table-beer to an alarming- extent. 



