'
'For half a mile he'd be nowhere with the Provence filly,' said
Glasslough.
'I'm speaking of a Derby distance, my Lord.'
'That's a kind of thing nobody really knows,' said Lupton.
'I've seen him 'ave his gallops,' said the little man, who in his
moments of excitement would sometimes fall away from that exact
pronunciation which had been one of the studies of his life,' and
have measured his stride. I think I know what pace means. Of
course I'm not going to answer for the 'orse. He's a temper, but
if things go favourably, no animal that ever showed on the Downs
was more likely to do the trick. Is there any gentleman here who
would like to bet me fifteen to one in hundreds against the two
events,--the Derby and the Leger?' The desired odds were at once
offered by Mr Lupton, and the bet was booked.
This gave rise to other betting, and before the evening was over
Lord Silverbridge had taken three-and-a-half to one against his
horse to such an extent that he stood to lose twelve hundred
pounds. The champagne which he had drunk, and the news that
Quousque, the first favourite, had so gone to pieces that now
there was a question which was the first favourite, had so
inflated him, that, had he been left alone, he would almost have
wagered even money on his horse.
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