Phyllis and Ophelia 23 



Dossie was so unused to selling a horse that realty 

 would bear strict inspection, that he almost overdid the 

 part of the honest dealer. There was, as a very general 

 rule, some weak point about the animals he offered for 

 sale, and one that might be handled in the stable and 

 freely tried outside was not often forthcoming. He had 

 picked the mare up cheaply a few weeks before, at the 

 sale, one miserably wet day, of the stud of a youthful 

 plunger who had broken himself in three years after 

 coming of age. Mr. Sharpe had not been to the stables 

 for some time, and Dossie was waiting his arrival in 

 order to discuss the best mode of proceeding. To sell 

 it at a handsome profit, to keep it in the stable, to train 

 and win a race with it at someone else's expense, 

 seemed a satisfactory thing to do, and Phyllis, as she 

 was called, was offered accordingly. So far as looks 

 went she w^as well enough. There was, indeed, nothing 

 particularly striking about her, but she appeared sound 

 and honest, and submitted to the operation of saddling 

 with perfect good-humour, for Osborne had expressed 

 his wish to give her a bit of a gallop, as Dossie sug- 

 gested. 



The downs were almost at the stable-door, just across 

 the road. Osborne mounted, walked through the gate, 

 passing the reins through his fingers, while Dossie and 

 Thomas looked on. 



' Jump her, sir. Do what you like. Throw her 

 down if you can; but you can't do that, I know,' the 

 trainer said. Osborne, nodding, leant forward in the 

 saddle, and off they went. The canter increased to a 

 gallop as the mare left the watchers, but she was easily 

 restrained, and came back heading for a row of hurdles 

 that ranged in a line away to the left. The mare pricked 



