Making the Ruxnixg 257 



keep nodding like a Chinese mandarin all day 

 long. 



Whether Stebbing did or did not own half Chimney 

 Corner Cecil could not quite make out ; but on the previous 

 afternoon the Captain, making him promise not to say a 

 word about it to any human being, had told him that 

 this was Chimney Corner's journey, that she had been 

 kept for a race in which the public were sure to make a 

 hot favourite of something else, that it was a starting- 

 price job, and he had better have on all he could afford, 

 as it was an absolute certainty — could not possibly be 

 beaten. Stebbing had added that he would come round 

 in the morning to Cecil's rooms, and they would go down 

 together. 



Cecil was not yet a member of Sandown, nor was the 

 Captain ; the reason he gave — for he apparently thought 

 some sort of explanation necessary — being that in the 

 Members' Enclosure a man knew everybody, and it was 

 impossible to keep his business to himself ; whereas out- 

 side one could keep a stiff upper lip and get out of the 

 way when advisable — reasoning which struck Cecil as a 

 little thin, perhaps ; but then Stebbing undoubtedly knew 

 infinitely more about racing than he did, and there could 

 be no sort of doubt in some way or other made a very 

 handsome income out of the turf — at least, he was a very 

 well-to-do man, and had no other ostensible means of 

 livelihood. 



The Captain — Cecil was ignorant of the origin of his 

 companion's rank — duly arrived. He was a heavy- 

 browed, dark-complexioned man of five-and-forty, with 

 big moustache, whiskers, and a blue-black chin, showing 

 where a coarse beard had been reaped. He called in his 

 phaeton and drove Cecil to Waterloo, where they took 



s 



