A VISIT TO A VETERAN. 225 



'' Of course he is at his best now ? " 

 ''Yes, as you will see to-morrow. It would 

 not do to let him down too suddenly. He's 

 thoroughly fit, and that for the first time in his 

 life. When he went to run for the Grand Duke 

 Michael, an authority on training, or some one 

 who is supposed to be one, comphmented me on 

 his condition, though I did not think he was 

 then fit, and said he would be much improved 

 by the Cesarewitch. When he was being 

 saddled for that race, my friend came up, and 

 thought he was a bit fine drawn and overdone. 

 ' He'll be finer drawn by the Cambridgeshire,' I 

 told him, and ' Ah, then you'll make a mess of 

 it ! ' he said. Well, he won the Cesarewitch, 

 and before the Cambridgeshire my friend arrived 

 to look him over, and vowed he had not the 

 ghost of a chance ; but I thought he had, and 

 you know the result." 



Next morning we all went to the little village 

 church, and after luncheon to Park House. 

 Alfred Day, my host's youngest son, who bids 

 fair to sustain to the full the reputation of his 

 family, receives us, and in a moment I am in 

 the comfortable box occupied by one of the very 

 best horses that ever ran. He is having his 

 toilet performed, and is told by his attendant to 

 hold up his foot. 



15 



