40 



A GOOD DAY 



' The first good day I really ever had,' the Major said, 

 ' was not a little curious, because it all happened by the 

 most ridiculous of flukes. I had a friend at that time 

 who knew more of form, and of horses, and of the men 

 who belonged to them, than any one I have ever met in 

 my life. The absurd part of the thing was, that though 

 he gave me the absolute winners of five races out of six, 

 and I was keen to follow him, and do anything he 

 suggested — I knew nothing of racing in those days, or 

 less than nothing, if there is such a degree of ignorance 

 — the only time I won that day was when I completely 

 misunderstood what he said, and acted on my mis- 

 conception. 



So spoke the Major, as w^e settled down after dinner 

 in the billiard-room of one of the pleasantest houses in 

 the immediate neighbourhood of Newmarket one night 

 during the Houghton Meeting. We had all done well 

 on the Heath, and that is eminently provocative of 

 appetite. The dinner had been admirable ; those of us 

 who retained a devotion to the '74 Perrier Jouet had 

 been gratified, and others who preferred the somewhat 

 livelier '80 had been considered by our thoughtful host ; 

 unless we were all egregiously mistaken, we knew of 

 something in a Nursery next day that was bound to be 



