The Great Down shire Handicap jj 



Cecil said as the successful rider left the scales, and ' All 

 right ! ' was called. ' I took a thousand to eight}' at the 

 last moment — don't shake your head and say it was 

 foolish, because it came off, you see ! ' 



' Foolish all the same, Mr. Auburn,' Dick replied. 

 ' They don't often go like that in the market without a 

 reason, though what it meant this time I can't make 

 out. I'm very glad, and now I must go and have some 

 lunch, for I haven't had anything to eat to-day, and 

 dinner yesterday was too light to be satisfjdng.' 



In another corner of the paddock a group of five men 

 were in earnest and angry discussion. Hough, Scully, 

 and Barrick were three of them, and it would have been 

 evident to an observer studied in physiognomy that 

 something had dreadfully astonished and was still pain- 

 fully perplexing them very much indeed. 



About a week afterwards Cecil was again at Chattress's 

 place to try some two-year-olds, Howard with him, the 

 former much happier in his mind, for the debt which 

 had weighed so heavily on him had been paid, and the 

 cloud which seemed to be settling on his happiness 

 removed. 



Some trials had come off according to the wishes of 

 the spectators, the three were at luncheon in the dining- 

 room, and Cecil was reading the comments on the 

 Downshire Handicap in a weekly paper just received. 



* A more unaccountable piece of business,' the writer 

 said, ' I do not remember to have seen or heard of. 

 When horses go back in the market as Fortunatus did 

 there is usually a most excellent reason for it, and 

 nothing is rarer than their success. The horse looked 

 wonderfully well, Chattress expressed himself as most 



