34 STABLE SECItETS. 



event, already casting its trembling shadow upon the threshold 

 of the present. 



The problem to be solved, however, still remained difficult 

 of solution. Two horses had arrived from the Great Stable of 

 the North, both engaged in the Two Thousand Guineas ; both 

 were supposed good enough to win the stake — both were quoted 

 in the betting — both were " said to be tried to a pound of being 

 as good as the other." Now, as both could not win, and one 

 would only be started, or, at least, "go" for the money, which 

 was that one ? N ewmarket shook its head — Newmarket 

 found itself in a perfect maze, not knowing which way to turn. 

 Newmarket had its misgivings. Newmarket screwed its 

 knuckles into the corner of its eyes, and began to shed tears of 

 weakness. 



There was one, however, who laughed in his sleeve — not an 

 inhabitant, but a sojourner in Newmarket. Mr. James Sloper, 

 as a preliminary to sipping about as nice a glass of claret as 

 Newmarket could produce, slowly closed one eye — it matters 

 not which — and rolling the end of his tongue into the corner 

 of a cheek, held the glass of claret between the pair of trans- 

 parent wax candles placed upon the table immediately before 

 him, and observed, with an expression of countenance approach- 

 ing the benevolent, that " it was a deadly game." Mr. James 

 Sloper moistened his lips with the wine, and then continued : 

 "It puts me in mind," said he, "of thimble-rig. It does, 

 indeed. One, two — here you are, there ye go. Different 

 people have l different opinions — some like happles, some like 

 hinions.' Exactly so, exactly so ! " exclaimed he, emptying 

 the glass to the last drop, and once more filling it, until the 

 blood-red line encircled the brim, before resuming the gossamer 

 thread of his thoughts. "There's no making a certainty of 

 winning a race," said Mr. James Sloper, with a pleasant smile. 

 "Accidents bar that. But" — and here he again had recourse 

 to the mildly stimulating effects of the claret — " the money laid 

 against a horse may always be secured when the strings are 



