AN OFF CHANCE. 197 



proffer of a liqueur from an oddly-shaped bottle, 

 which stood on a side table amongst a heap of 

 yesterday's cards, race glasses, gloves, and 

 papers. 



'' Well, Tom, how's the mare ? and have you 

 been through the card ? Mr. Flutterton had a 

 real stroke of bad luck yesterday." Tom quietly 

 smiled. " Yes, bad luck, and not bad judgment," 

 Wynnerly said. 



" Yes, Tom," Flutterton broke in. "I know 

 what you think about the folly of betting on 

 every race, as I do generally, but this time my 

 horse won. I took ^1000 to ^680 about The 

 Admiral, on good advice. He won, as you 

 know. I immediately plunged — put the whole 

 thousand on Proserpine for the Cup, and only 

 heard afterwards that The Admiral was dis- 

 qualified for a cross — which I certainly did not 

 see, though I watched the race carefully." 



"No, Mr. Flutterton, and I didn't see it 

 either," Tom answered. "Yes, that certainly 

 was bad luck. And so you lost the thousand you 

 hadn't won?" 



" Yes ; and as I hadn't been doing well before, 

 I am in a hole. Do you see anything to-day ? " 



"Well, my mare, Furze Blossom, will win 

 her race, but it's 7 to 4 on her now ; and, 

 of course. Silk Scarf will win the big two-year- 



