Under
Two
Flags
:
a
Story
of
the
Household
and
the
Desert
.
By
Ouida
...
In
Three
Volumes
"
Coeur
Vaillant
se
fait
Royaume
.
"
TO
COLONEL
POULETT
CAMERON
,
C
.
B
.
,
K
.
C
.
T
.
+
S.
,
etc.
,
WHOSE
FAMILY
HAS
GIVEN
SO
MANY
BRILLIANT
SOLDIERS
TO
THE
ARMIES
OF
FRANCE
AND
ENGLAND
,
AND
MADE
THE
BATTLE-FIELDS
OF
EUROPE
RING
WITH
"
THE
WAR-CRY
OF
LOCHIEL
,
"
THIS
STORY
OF
A
SOLDIER
'S
LIFE
IS
DEDICATED
IN
SINCERE
FRIENDSHIP
.
AVIS
AU
LECTEUR
.
This
Story
was
originally
written
for
a
military
periodical
.
It
has
been
fortunate
enough
to
receive
much
commendation
from
military
men
,
and
for
them
it
is
now
specially
issued
in
its
present
form
.
For
the
general
Public
it
may
be
as
well
to
add
,
that
where
translations
are
appended
to
the
French
phrases
,
those
translations
follow
the
idiomatic
and
special
meaning
attached
to
those
expressions
in
the
argot
of
the
Army
of
Algeria
,
and
not
the
correct
or
literal
one
given
to
such
words
or
sentences
in
ordinary
grammatical
parlance
.
OUIDA
.
VOL.
I
.
CHAPTER
I
.
"
BEAUTY
OF
THE
BRIGADES
.
"
"
I
do
n't
say
but
what
he
's
difficult
to
please
with
his
Tops
,
"
said
Mr.
Rake
,
factotum
to
the
Hon.
Bertie
Cecil
,
of
the
First
Life
Guards
,
with
that
article
of
hunting
toggery
suspended
in
his
right
hand
as
he
paused
,
before
going
up-stairs
,
to
deliver
his
opinions
with
characteristic
weight
and
vivacity
to
the
studgroom
,
"
he
is
uncommon
particular
about
'
em
;
and
if
his
leathers
ai
n't
as
white
as
snow
he
'll
never
touch
'
em
,
tho
'
as
soon
as
the
pack
come
nigh
him
at
Royallieu
,
the
leathers
might
just
as
well
never
have
been
cleaned
,
them
hounds
jump
about
him
so
;
old
Champion
's
at
his
saddle
before
you
can
say
Davy
Jones
.
Tops
are
trials
,
I
ai
n't
denying
that
,
specially
when
you
've
jacks
,
and
moccasins
,
and
moor
boots
,
and
Russia-leather
crickets
,
and
turf
hacks
,
and
Hythe
boots
,
and
waterproofs
,
and
all
manner
of
varnish
things
for
dress
,
that
none
of
the
boys
will
do
right
unless
you
look
after
'
em
yourself
.
But
is
it
likely
that
he
should
know
what
a
worry
a
Top
's
complexion
is
,
and
how
hard
it
is
to
come
right
with
all
the
Fast
Brown
polishing
in
the
world
?
How
should
he
guess
what
a
piece
of
work
it
is
to
get
'
em
all
of
a
colour
,
and
how
like
they
are
to
come
mottled
,
and
how
a'most
sure
they
'll
ten
to
one
go
off
dark
just
as
they
're
growing
yellow
,
and
put
you
to
shame
,
let
you
do
what
you
will
to
make
'
em
cut
a
shine
over
the
country
?
How
should
he
know
?
I
do
n't
complain
of
that
;
bless
you
,
he
never
thinks
.
It
's
'
do
this
,
Rake
,
'
'
do
that
,
'
and
he
never
remember
'
t
is
n't
done
by
magic
.
But
he
's
a
true
gentleman
,
Mr.
Cecil
;
never
grudge
a
guinea
,
or
a
fiver
to
you
;
never
out
of
temper
neither
;
always
have
a
kind
word
for
you
if
you
want
;
thoro'-bred
every
inch
of
him
;
see
him
bring
down
a
rocketer
,
or
lift
his
horse
over
the
Broad
Water
!
He
's
a
gentleman
—
not
like
your
snobs
that
have
nothing
sound
about
'
em
but
their
cash
,
and
swept
out
their
shops
before
they
bought
their
fine
feathers
!
—
and
I
'll
be
d
—
d
if
I
care
what
I
do
for
him
.
"
With
which
peroration
to
his
born-enemy
the
studgroom
,
with
whom
he
waged
a
perpetual
and
most
lively
feud
,
Rake
flourished
the
tops
that
had
been
under
discussion
,
and
triumphant
,
as
he
invariably
was
,
ran
up
the
back
stairs
of
his
master
's
lodgings
in
Piccadilly
,
opposite
the
Green
Park
,
and
with
a
rap
on
the
panels
entered
his
master
's
bedroom
.
A
Guardsman
at
home
is
always
,
if
anything
,
rather
more
luxuriously
accommodated
than
a
young
Duchess
,
and
Bertie
Cecil
was
never
behind
his
fellows
in
anything
;
besides
,
he
was
one
of
the
"
cracks
"
of
the
Household
,
and
women
sent
him
pretty
things
enough
to
fill
the
Palais
Royal
.
The
dressing-table
was
littered
with
Bohemian
glass
and
gold-stoppered
bottles
,
and
all
the
perfumes
of
Araby
represented
by
Breidenbach
and
Rimmel
.
The
dressing-case
was
of
silver
,
with
the
name
studded
on
the
lid
in
turquoises
;
the
brushes
,
boot-jacks
,
boot-trees
,
whip-stands
,
were
of
ivory
and
tortoiseshell
;
a
couple
of
tiger-skins
were
on
the
hearth
,
with
a
retriever
and
blue
greyhound
in
possession
;
above
the
mantelpiece
were
crossed
swords
in
all
the
varieties
of
gilt
,
gold
,
silver
,
ivory
,
aluminum
,
chiselled
and
embossed
hilts
;
and
on
the
walls
were
a
few
perfect
French
pictures
,
with
the
portraits
of
a
greyhound
drawn
by
Landseer
,
of
a
steeple-chaser
by
Harry
Hall
,
one
or
two
of
Herring
's
hunters
,
and
two
or
three
fair
women
in
crayons
.
The
hangings
of
the
room
were
silken
and
rose-coloured
,
and
a
delicious
confusion
prevailed
through
it
pell-mell
,
box
spurs
,
hunting
stirrups
,
cartridge-cases
,
curb
chains
,
muzzle-loaders
,
hunting-flasks
,
and
white
gauntlets
,
being
mixed
up
with
Paris
novels
,
pink
notes
,
point-lace
ties
,
bracelets
and
bouquets
to
be
despatched
to
various
destinations
,
and
velvet
and
silk
bags
for
bank-notes
,
cigars
,
or
vesuvians
,
embroidered
by
feminine
fingers
,
and
as
useless
as
those
pretty
fingers
themselves
.
On
the
softest
of
sofas
,
half
dressed
,
and
having
half
an
hour
before
splashed
like
a
water
dog
out
of
the
bath
,
as
big
as
a
small
pond
,
in
the
dressing-chamber
beyond
,
was
the
Hon.
Bertie
himself
,
second
son
of
Viscount
Royallieu
,
known
generally
in
the
Brigades
as
"
Beauty
.
"
The
appellative
,
gained
at
Eton
,
was
in
no
way
undeserved
.
When
the
smoke
cleared
away
that
was
circling
round
him
out
of
a
great
meerschaum-bowl
,
it
showed
a
face
of
as
much
delicacy
and
brilliancy
as
a
woman
's
,
handsome
,
thorough-bred
,
languid
,
nonchalant
,
with
a
certain
latent
recklessness
under
the
impassive
calm
of
habit
,
and
a
singular
softness
given
to
the
large
dark
hazel
eyes
by
the
unusual
length
of
the
lashes
over
them
.
His
features
were
exceedingly
fair
—
fair
as
the
fairest
girl
's
;
his
hair
was
of
the
softest
,
silkiest
,
brightest
chesnut
;
his
mouth
very
beautifully
shaped
;
on
the
whole
,
with
a
certain
gentle
,
mournful
love-me
look
that
his
eyes
had
with
them
,
it
was
no
wonder
that
great
ladies
and
gay
lionnes
alike
gave
him
the
palm
as
the
handsomest
man
in
all
the
Household
Regiments
—
not
even
excepting
that
splendid
golden-haired
Colossus
,
his
oldest
friend
and
closest
comrade
,
known
as
"
the
Seraph
.
"
He
looked
now
at
the
tops
that
Rake
swung
in
his
hand
and
shook
his
head
.
"
Better
,
Rake
,
but
not
right
yet
.
Ca
n't
you
get
that
tawny
colour
in
the
tiger
's
skin
there
?
You
go
so
much
to
brown
.
"
Rake
shook
his
head
in
turn
,
as
he
set
down
the
incorrigible
tops
beside
six
pairs
of
their
fellows
,
and
six
times
six
of
every
other
sort
of
boots
that
the
covert-side
,
the
heather
,
the
flat
,
or
the
"
sweet
shady
side
of
Pall
Mall
"
ever
knew
.
"
Do
my
best
,
sir
;
but
Polish
do
n't
come
nigh
Nature
,
Mr.
Cecil
.
"
"
Goes
beyond
it
,
the
ladies
say
;
and
to
do
them
justice
,
they
favour
it
much
the
most
,
"
laughed
Cecil
to
himself
,
floating
fresh
clouds
of
turkish
about
him
.
"
Willon
up
?
"
"
Yes
,
sir
.
Come
in
this
minute
for
orders
.
"
"
How
'd
Forest
King
stand
the
train
?
"
"
Bright
as
a
bird
,
sir
;
he
never
mind
nothing
.
Mother
o
'
Pearl
she
worreted
a
little
,
he
says
;
she
always
do
,
along
of
the
engine
noise
;
but
the
King
walked
in
and
out
just
as
if
the
stations
were
his
own
stable-yard
.
"
"
He
gave
them
gruel
and
chilled
water
after
the
shaking
before
he
let
them
go
to
their
corn
?
"
"
He
says
he
did
,
sir
.
"
Rake
would
by
no
means
take
upon
himself
to
warrant
the
veracity
of
his
sworn
foe
the
stud-groom
;
unremitting
feud
was
between
them
;
Rake
considered
that
he
knew
more
about
horses
than
any
other
man
living
,
and
the
other
functionary
proportionately
resented
back
his
knowledge
and
his
interference
,
as
utterly
out
of
place
in
a
body-servant
.
"
Tell
him
I
'll
look
in
at
the
stable
after
duty
and
see
the
screws
are
all
right
;
and
that
he
's
to
be
ready
to
go
down
with
them
by
my
train
to-morrow
—
noon
,
you
know
.
Send
that
note
there
,
and
the
bracelets
,
to
St.
John
's
Wood
:
and
that
white
bouquet
to
Mrs.
Delamaine
.
Bid
Willon
get
some
Banbury
bits
—
I
prefer
the
revolving
mouths
—
and
some
of
Wood
's
double
mouths
and
Nelson
gags
;
we
want
new
ones
.
Mind
that
lever-snap
breech-loader
comes
home
in
time
.
Look
in
at
the
Commission
stables
,
and
,
if
you
see
a
likely
black
charger
as
good
as
Black
Douglas
,
tell
me
.
Write
about
the
stud
fox-terrier
,
and
buy
the
blue
Dandy
Dinmont
;
Lady
Guenevere
wants
him
.
I
'll
take
him
down
with
me
.
But
first
put
me
into
harness
,
Rake
;
it
's
getting
late
.
"
Murmuring
which
multiplicity
of
directions
,
for
Rake
to
catch
as
he
could
,
in
the
softiest
and
sleepiest
of
tones
,
Bertie
Cecil
drank
a
glass
of
curaçoa
,
put
his
tall
lithe
limbs
indolently
off
his
sofa
,
and
surrendered
himself
to
the
martyrdom
of
cuirass
and
gorget
,
standing
six
feet
one
without
his
spurred
jacks
,
but
light-built
and
full
of
grace
as
a
deer
,
or
his
weight
would
not
have
been
what
it
was
in
gentleman-rider
races
from
the
Hunt
steeple-chase
at
La
Marche
to
the
Grand
National
in
the
Shires
.
"
As
if
Parliament
could
n't
meet
without
dragging
us
through
the
dust
!
The
idiots
write
about
'
the
swells
in
the
Guards
,
'
as
if
we
had
all
fun
and
no
work
,
and
knew
nothing
of
the
rough
of
the
Service
.
I
should
like
to
learn
what
they
call
sitting
motionless
in
your
saddle
through
half
a
day
,
while
a
London
mob
goes
mad
round
you
,
and
lost
dogs
snap
at
your
charger
's
nose
,
and
dirty
little
beggars
squeeze
against
your
legs
,
and
the
sun
broils
you
,
or
the
fog
soaks
you
,
and
you
sit
sentinel
over
a
gingerbread
coach
till
you
're
deaf
with
the
noise
,
and
blind
with
the
dust
,
and
sick
with
the
crowd
,
and
half
dead
for
want
of
sodas
and
brandies
,
and
,
from
going
a
whole
morning
without
one
cigarette
!
—
not
to
mention
the
inevitable
apple-woman
who
invariably
entangles
herself
between
your
horse
's
legs
,
and
the
certainty
of
your
riding
down
somebody
and
having
a
summons
about
it
the
next
day
!
If
all
that
is
n't
the
rough
of
the
Service
,
I
should
like
to
know
what
is
?
Why
,
the
hottest
day
in
the
batteries
,
or
the
sharpest
rush
into
Ghoorkahs
or
Bhoteahs
,
would
be
light
work
compared
!
"
murmured
Cecil
,
with
the
most
plaintive
pity
for
the
hardships
of
life
in
the
Household
,
while
Rake
,
with
the
rapid
proficiency
of
long
habit
,
braced
,
and
buckled
,
and
buttoned
,
knotted
the
sash
with
the
knack
of
professional
genius
,
girt
on
the
brightest
of
all
glittering
,
polished
,
silver
steel
"
Cut-and-Thrusts
,
"
with
its
rich
gilt
mountings
,
and
contemplated
with
flattering
self-complacency
leathers
white
as
snow
,
jacks
brilliant
as
black
varnish
could
make
them
,
and
silver
spurs
of
glittering
radiance
,
until
his
master
stood
full
harnessed
,
at
length
,
as
gallant
a
Life
Guardsman
as
ever
did
duty
at
the
Palace
by
making
love
to
the
handsomest
lady-in-waiting
.
"
To
sit
wedged
in
with
one
's
troop
for
five
hours
,
and
in
a
drizzle
,
too
!
Houses
ought
n't
to
meet
until
the
day
's
fine
;
I
'm
sure
they
are
in
no
hurry
,
"
said
Cecil
to
himself
,
as
he
pocketed
a
dainty
,
filmy
handkerchief
,
all
perfume
,
point
,
and
embroidery
,
with
the
interlaced
B.C.
,
and
the
crest
on
the
corner
,
while
he
looked
hopelessly
out
of
the
window
.
He
was
perfectly
happy
,
drenched
to
the
skin
on
the
moors
after
a
royal
,
or
in
a
fast
thing
with
the
Melton
men
from
Thorpe
Trussels
to
Ranksborough
;
but
three
drops
of
rain
when
on
duty
were
a
totally
different
matter
,
to
be
resented
with
any
amount
of
dandy
's
lamentations
and
epicurean
diatribes
.
"
Ah
,
young
one
,
how
are
you
?
Is
the
day
very
bad
?
"
he
asked
,
with
languid
wistfulness
as
the
door
opened
.
But
indifferent
and
weary
—
on
account
of
the
weather
—
as
the
tone
was
,
his
eyes
rested
with
a
kindly
,
cordial
light
on
the
new
comer
,
a
young
fellow
of
scarcely
twenty
,
like
himself
in
feature
,
though
much
smaller
and
slighter
in
build
,
a
graceful
boy
enough
,
with
no
fault
in
his
face
,
except
a
certain
weakness
in
the
mouth
,
just
shadowed
only
,
as
yet
,
with
down
.
A
celebrity
,
the
Zu-Zu
,
the
last
coryphée
whom
Bertie
had
translated
from
a
sphere
of
garret
bread-and-cheese
to
a
sphere
of
villa
champagne
and
chicken
(
and
who
,
of
course
,
in
proportion
to
the
previous
scarcity
of
her
bread-and-cheese
grew
immediately
intolerant
of
any
wine
less
than
90s
.
the
dozen
)
,
said
that
Cecil
cared
for
nothing
longer
than
a
fortnight
,
unless
it
were
his
horse
,
Forest
King
.
It
was
very
ungrateful
in
the
Zu-Zu
,
since
he
cared
for
her
at
the
least
a
whole
quarter
,
paying
for
his
fidelity
at
the
tone
of
a
hundred
a
month
;
and
also
,
it
was
not
true
,
for
besides
Forest
King
,
he
loved
his
young
brother
Berkeley
:
—
which
,
however
,
she
neither
knew
no
guessed
.
"
Beastly
!
"
replied
that
young
gentleman
,
in
reference
to
the
weather
,
which
was
indeed
pretty
tolerable
for
an
English
morning
in
February
.
"
I
say
,
Bertie
—
are
you
in
a
hurry
?
"
"
The
very
deuce
of
a
hurry
,
little
one
:
why
?
"
Bertie
never
was
in
a
hurry
,
however
,
and
he
said
this
as
lazily
as
possible
,
shaking
the
white
horsehair
over
his
helmit
,
and
drawing
in
deep
draughts
of
Turkish
previous
to
parting
with
his
pipe
for
the
whole
of
four
or
five
hours
.
"
Because
I
am
in
a
hole
—
no
end
of
a
hole
—
and
I
thought
you
'd
help
me
,
"
murmured
the
boy
,
half
penitently
,
half
caressingly
;
he
was
very
girlish
in
his
face
and
his
ways
.
On
which
confession
,
Rake
retired
into
the
bath-room
;
he
could
hear
just
as
well
there
,
and
a
sense
of
decorum
made
him
withdraw
,
though
his
presence
would
have
been
wholly
forgotten
by
them
.
In
something
the
same
spirit
as
the
French
Countess
accounted
for
her
employing
her
valet
to
bring
her
her
chocolate
in
bed
—
"
Est
ce
que
vous
appelez
cette
chose-là
un
homme
?
"
—
Bertie
had
,
on
occasion
,
so
wholly
regarded
servants
as
necessary
furniture
,
that
he
had
gone
through
a
love
scene
with
that
handsome
coquette
,
Lady
Regalia
,
totally
oblivious
of
the
presence
of
the
groom
of
the
chambers
,
and
the
possibility
of
that
person
's
appearance
in
the
witness-box
of
the
Divorce
Court
.
It
was
in
no
way
his
passion
that
blinded
him
—
he
did
not
put
the
steam
on
like
that
,
and
never
went
in
for
any
disturbing
emotion
—
it
was
simply
habit
and
forgetfulness
that
those
functionaries
were
not
born
mute
,
deaf
,
and
sightless
.
He
tossed
some
essence
over
his
hands
,
and
drew
on
his
gauntlets
.
"
What
's
up
,
Berk
?
"
The
boy
hung
his
head
,
and
played
a
little
uneasily
with
an
ormolu
terrier-pot
,
upsetting
half
the
tobacco
in
it
;
he
was
trained
to
his
brother
's
nonchalant
impenetrable
school
,
and
used
to
his
brother
's
set
,
a
cool
,
listless
,
reckless
,
thorough-bred
,
and
impassive
set
,
whose
first
canon
was
that
you
must
lose
your
last
thousand
in
the
world
without
giving
a
sign
that
you
winced
,
and
must
win
half
a
million
without
showing
that
you
were
gratified
;
but
he
had
something
of
girlish
weakness
in
his
nature
,
and
a
reserve
in
his
temperament
that
was
with
difficulty
conquered
.
Bertie
looked
at
him
,
and
laid
his
hand
gently
on
the
young
one
's
shoulder
.
"
Come
,
my
boy
,
out
with
it
!
It
's
nothing
very
bad
,
I
'll
be
bound
?
"
"
I
want
some
more
money
;
a
couple
of
ponies
,
"
said
the
boy
,
a
little
huskily
;
he
did
not
meet
his
brother
's
eyes
,
that
were
looking
straight
down
on
him
.
Cecil
gave
a
long
low
whistle
,
and
drew
a
meditative
whiff
from
his
meerschaum
.
"
Très
cher
,
you
're
always
wanting
money
.
So
am
I
.
So
is
everybody
.
The
normal
state
of
man
is
to
want
money
.
Two
ponies
.
What
's
it
for
—
eh
?
"
"
I
lost
it
at
chicken-hazard
last
night
.
Poulteney
lent
it
me
,
and
I
told
him
I
would
send
it
him
in
the
morning
.
The
ponies
were
gone
before
I
thought
of
it
,
Bertie
,
and
I
have
n't
a
notion
where
to
get
them
to
pay
him
again
.
"
"
Heavy
stakes
,
young
one
,
for
you
,
"
murmured
Cecil
,
while
his
hand
dropped
from
the
boy
's
shoulder
,
and
a
shadow
of
gravity
passed
over
his
face
;
money
was
very
scarce
with
himself
.
Berkeley
gave
him
a
hurried
appealing
glance
.
He
was
used
to
shift
all
his
anxieties
on
to
his
elder
brother
,
and
to
be
helped
by
him
under
any
difficulty
.
Cecil
never
allotted
two
seconds
'
thought
to
his
own
embarrassments
,
but
he
would
multiply
them
tenfold
by
taking
other
people
's
on
him
as
well
with
an
unremitting
and
thoughtless
good
nature
.
"
I
could
n't
help
it
,
"
pleaded
the
lad
,
with
coaxing
and
almost
piteous
apology
.
"
I
backed
Grosvenor
's
play
,
and
you
know
he
's
always
the
most
wonderful
luck
in
the
world
.
I
could
n't
tell
he
'd
have
such
cards
as
he
had
.
How
shall
I
get
the
money
,
Bertie
?
I
dare
n't
ask
the
governor
;
and
besides
,
I
told
Poulteney
he
should
have
it
this
morning
.
What
do
you
think
if
I
sold
the
mare
?
But
then
I
could
n't
sell
her
in
a
minute
—
—
"
Cecil
laughed
a
little
,
but
his
eyes
,
as
they
rested
on
the
lad
's
young
,
fair
,
womanish
face
,
were
very
gentle
under
the
long
shade
of
their
lashes
.
"
Sell
the
mare
!
Nonsense
!
How
should
anybody
live
without
a
hack
?
I
can
pull
you
through
,
I
dare
say
.
Ah
!
by
George
,
there
's
the
quarters
chiming
.
I
shall
be
too
late
,
as
I
live
.
"
Not
hurried
still
,
however
,
even
by
that
near
prospect
,
he
sauntered
to
his
dressing-table
,
took
up
one
of
the
pretty
velvet
and
gold-filigreed
absurdities
,
and
shook
out
all
the
bank-notes
there
were
in
it
.
There
were
fives
and
tens
enough
to
count
up
45
l
.
He
reached
over
and
caught
up
a
five
from
a
little
heap
lying
loose
on
a
novel
of
Du
Terrail
's
,
and
tossed
the
whole
across
the
room
to
the
boy
.
"
There
you
are
,
young
one
!
But
do
n't
borrow
of
any
but
your
own
people
again
,
Berk
.
We
do
n't
do
that
.
No
,
no
!
—
no
thanks
.
Shut
up
all
that
.
If
ever
you
get
in
a
hole
,
I
'll
take
you
out
if
I
can
.
Good-bye
.
Will
you
go
to
the
Lords
'
?
Better
not
—
nothing
to
see
,
and
still
less
to
hear
.
All
stale
.
That
's
the
only
comfort
for
us
—
we
are
outside
!
"
he
said
,
with
something
that
almost
approached
hurry
in
the
utterance
,
so
great
was
his
terror
of
anything
approaching
a
scene
,
and
so
eager
was
he
to
escape
his
brother
's
gratitude
.
The
boy
had
taken
the
notes
with
delighted
thanks
indeed
,
but
with
that
tranquil
and
unprotesting
readiness
with
which
spoiled
childishness
,
or
unhesitating
selfishness
,
accepts
gifts
and
sacrifices
from
another
's
generosity
,
which
have
been
so
general
that
they
have
ceased
to
have
magnitude
.
As
his
brother
passed
him
,
however
,
he
caught
his
hand
a
second
,
and
looked
up
with
a
mist
before
his
eyes
,
and
a
flush
,
half
of
shame
,
half
of
gratitude
,
on
his
face
.
"
What
a
trump
you
are
!
—
how
good
you
are
,
Bertie
!
"
Cecil
laughed
and
shrugged
his
shoulders
.
"
First
time
I
ever
heard
it
,
my
dear
boy
,
"
he
answered
,
as
he
lounged
down
the
staircase
,
his
chains
clashing
and
jingling
,
while
pressing
his
helmet
on
to
his
forehead
and
pulling
the
chin-scale
over
his
moustaches
,
he
sauntered
out
into
the
street
where
his
charger
was
waiting
.
"
The
deuce
!
"
he
thought
,
as
he
settled
himself
in
his
stirrups
,
while
the
raw
morning
wind
tossed
his
white
plume
hither
.
"
I
never
remembered
!
—
I
do
n't
believe
I
've
left
myself
money
enough
to
take
Willon
and
Rake
and
the
cattle
down
to
the
Shires
to-morrow
.
If
I
should
n't
have
kept
enough
to
take
my
own
ticket
with
!
—
that
would
be
no
end
of
a
sell
.
On
my
word
,
I
do
n't
know
how
much
there
's
left
on
the
dressing-table
.
Well
!
I
ca
n't
help
it
,
Poulteney
had
to
be
paid
;
I
ca
n't
have
Berk
's
name
show
in
anything
that
looks
shady
.
"
The
50
l
.
had
been
the
last
remnant
of
a
bill
,
done
under
great
difficulties
with
a
sagacious
Jew
,
and
Cecil
had
no
more
certainty
of
possessing
any
more
money
until
next
pay-day
should
come
round
than
he
had
of
possessing
the
moon
;
lack
of
ready
money
,
moreover
,
is
a
serious
inconvenience
when
you
belong
to
clubs
where
"
pounds
and
fives
"
are
the
lowest
points
,
and
live
with
men
who
take
the
odds
on
most
events
in
thousands
;
but
the
thing
was
done
,
he
would
not
have
undone
it
at
the
boy
's
loss
if
he
could
,
and
Cecil
,
who
never
was
worried
by
the
loss
of
the
most
stupendous
"
crusher
,
"
and
who
made
it
a
rule
never
to
think
of
disagreeable
inevitabilities
two
minutes
together
,
shook
his
charger
's
bridle
and
cantered
down
Piccadilly
towards
the
barracks
,
while
Black
Douglas
reared
,
curvetted
,
made
as
if
he
would
kick
,
and
finally
ended
by
"
passaging
"
down
half
the
length
of
the
road
,
to
the
prominent
peril
of
all
passersby
,
and
looking
eminently
glossy
,
handsome
,
stalwart
,
and
foam-flecked
,
while
he
thus
expressed
his
disapprobation
of
forming
part
of
the
escort
from
Palace
to
Parliament
.
"
Home
Secretary
should
see
about
it
;
it
's
abominable
!
If
we
must
come
among
them
they
ought
to
be
made
a
little
odoriferous
first
.
A
couple
of
fire-engines
now
,
playing
on
them
continuously
with
rose-water
and
bouquet
d'Ess
,
for
an
hour
before
we
come
up
,
might
do
a
little
good
.
I
'll
get
some
men
to
speak
about
it
in
the
House
;
call
it
'
Bill
for
the
Purifying
of
the
Unwashed
,
and
Prevention
of
their
Suffocating
Her
Majesty
's
Brigades
,
'
"
murmured
Cecil
to
the
Earl
of
Broceliande
,
next
him
,
as
they
sat
down
in
their
saddles
with
the
rest
of
the
"
First
Life
"
in
front
of
St.
Stephen
's
,
with
a
hazy
fog
steaming
round
them
,
and
a
London
mob
crushing
against
their
chargers
'
flanks
,
while
Black
Douglas
stood
like
a
rock
,
though
a
butcher
's
tray
was
pressed
against
his
withers
,
a
mongrel
was
snapping
at
his
hocks
,
and
the
inevitable
apple-woman
,
of
Cecil
's
prophetic
horror
,
was
wildly
plunging
between
his
legs
,
as
the
hydra-headed
rushed
down
in
insane
headlong
haste
to
stare
at
,
and
crush
on
to
,
that
superb
body
of
Guards
.
"
I
would
give
a
kingdom
for
a
soda
and
brandy
.
Bah
!
ye
gods
!
what
a
smell
of
fish
and
fustian
,
"
sighed
Bertie
,
with
a
yawn
of
utter
famine
for
want
of
something
to
drink
and
something
to
smoke
,
were
it
only
a
glass
of
brown
sherry
and
a
little
papelito
,
while
he
glanced
down
at
the
snow-white
and
jet-black
masterpieces
of
Rake
's
genius
,
all
smirched
,
and
splashed
,
and
smeared
.
He
had
given
fifty
pounds
away
,
and
scarcely
knew
whether
he
should
have
enough
to
take
his
ticket
next
day
into
the
Shires
,
and
he
owed
fifty
hundred
without
having
the
slightest
grounds
for
supposing
he
should
ever
be
able
to
pay
it
,
and
he
cared
no
more
about
either
of
these
things
than
he
cared
about
the
Zu-Zu
's
throwing
the
half-guinea
peaches
into
the
river
after
a
Richmond
dinner
,
in
the
effort
to
hit
dragon-flies
with
them
;
but
to
be
half
a
day
without
a
cigarette
,
and
to
have
a
disagreeable
odour
of
apples
and
corduroys
wafted
up
to
him
,
was
a
calamity
that
made
him
insupportably
depressed
and
unhappy
.
Well
,
why
not
?
It
is
the
trifles
of
life
that
are
its
bores
after
all
.
Most
men
can
meet
ruin
calmly
,
for
instance
,
or
laugh
when
they
lie
in
a
ditch
with
their
own
knee-joint
and
their
hunter
's
spine
broken
over
the
double-post-and-rails
;
it
is
the
mud
that
has
choked
up
your
horn
just
when
you
wanted
to
rally
the
pack
,
it
's
the
county
member
who
catches
you
by
the
button
in
the
lobby
,
it
's
the
whip
who
carries
you
off
to
a
division
just
when
you
've
sat
down
to
your
turbot
,
it
's
the
ten
seconds
by
which
you
miss
the
train
,
it
's
the
dust
that
gets
in
your
eyes
as
you
go
down
to
Epsom
,
it
's
the
pretty
little
rose-note
that
went
by
accident
to
your
house
instead
of
your
club
,
and
raised
a
storm
from
Madame
,
it
's
the
dog
that
always
will
run
wild
into
the
birds
,
it
's
the
cook
who
always
will
season
the
white
soup
wrong
—
it
is
these
that
are
the
bores
of
life
,
and
that
try
the
temper
of
your
philosophy
.
An
acquaintance
of
mine
told
me
the
other
day
of
having
lost
heavy
sums
through
a
swindler
,
with
as
placid
an
indifference
as
if
he
had
lost
a
toothpick
;
but
he
swore
like
a
trooper
because
a
thief
had
stolen
the
steel-mounted
hoof
of
a
dead
pet
hunter
.
"
Insufferable
!
"
murmured
Cecil
,
hiding
another
yawn
behind
his
gauntlet
;
"
the
Line
's
nothing
half
so
bad
as
this
;
one
day
in
a
London
mob
beats
a
year
's
campaigning
.
What
's
charging
a
pah
to
charging
an
oyster-stall
,
or
a
parapet
of
fascines
to
a
bristling
row
of
umbrellas
?
"
Which
questions
as
to
the
relative
hardships
of
the
two
Arms
was
a
question
of
military
interest
never
answered
,
as
Cecil
scattered
the
umbrellas
right
and
left
,
and
dashed
from
the
Houses
of
Parliament
full
trot
with
the
rest
of
the
escort
on
the
return
to
the
Palace
,
the
afternoon
sun
breaking
out
with
a
brightened
gleam
from
the
clouds
,
and
flashing
off
the
drawn
swords
,
the
streaming
plumes
,
the
glittering
breastplates
,
the
gold
embroideries
,
and
the
fretting
chargers
.
But
a
mere
sun-gleam
just
when
the
thing
was
over
,
and
the
escort
was
pacing
back
to
the
barracks
,
could
not
console
Cecil
for
fog
,
wind
,
mud
,
oyster-vendors
,
bad
odours
,
and
the
uproar
and
riffraff
of
the
streets
;
specially
when
his
throat
was
as
dry
as
a
limekiln
,
and
his
longing
for
the
sight
of
a
cheroot
approaching
desperation
.
Unlimited
sodas
,
three
pipes
smoked
silently
over
Delphine
Demirep
's
last
novel
,
a
bath
well
dashed
with
eau-de-cologne
,
and
some
glasses
of
anisette
after
the
fatigue-duty
of
unharnessing
,
restored
him
a
little
;
but
he
was
still
weary
and
depressed
into
gentler
languor
than
ever
through
all
the
courses
at
a
dinner-party
at
the
Austrian
Embassy
,
and
did
not
recover
his
dejection
at
a
reception
of
the
Duchess
of
Lydiard-Tregoze
,
where
the
prettiest
French
Countess
of
her
time
asked
him
if
anything
was
the
matter
?
"
Yes
!
"
said
Bertie
,
with
a
sigh
,
and
a
profound
melancholy
,
in
what
the
woman
called
his
handsome
Spanish
eyes
,
"
I
have
had
a
great
misfortune
;
we
have
been
on
duty
all
day
!
"
He
did
not
thoroughly
recover
tone
,
light
and
careless
though
his
temper
was
,
till
the
Zu-Zu
,
in
her
diamond-edition
of
a
villa
,
prescribed
Crême
de
Bouzy
and
Parfait
Amour
in
succession
,
with
a
considerable
amount
of
pine-apple
ice
at
three
o'clock
in
the
morning
,
which
restorative
prescription
succeeded
.
Indeed
,
it
took
something
as
tremendous
as
divorce
from
all
forms
of
smoking
for
five
hours
,
to
make
an
impression
on
Bertie
.
He
had
the
most
serene
insouciance
that
ever
a
man
was
blessed
with
;
in
worry
he
did
not
believe
,
he
never
let
it
come
near
him
;
and
beyond
a
little
difficulty
sometimes
in
separating
too
many
entangled
rose-chains
caught
round
him
at
the
same
time
,
and
the
annoyance
of
a
miscalculation
on
the
flat
or
the
ridge-and-furrow
,
when
a
Maldon
or
Danebury
favourite
came
"
nowhere
,
"
or
his
book
was
wrong
for
the
Grand
National
,
Cecil
had
no
cares
of
any
sort
or
description
.
True
,
the
Royallieu
Peerage
,
one
of
the
most
ancient
and
almost
one
of
the
most
impoverished
in
the
kingdom
,
could
ill
afford
to
maintain
its
sons
in
the
expensive
career
on
which
it
had
launched
them
,
and
the
chief
there
was
to
spare
usually
went
between
the
eldest
,
a
Secretary
of
Legation
in
that
costly
and
charming
city
of
Vienna
,
and
to
the
young
one
,
Berkeley
,
through
the
old
Viscount
's
partiality
,
so
that
had
Bertie
ever
gone
so
far
as
to
study
his
actual
position
,
he
would
have
probably
confessed
that
it
was
,
to
say
the
least
,
awkward
.
But
then
he
never
did
this
;
certainly
never
did
it
thoroughly
.
Sometimes
he
felt
himself
near
the
wind
when
settling-day
came
,
or
the
Jews
appeared
utterly
impracticable
;
but
,
as
a
rule
,
things
had
always
trimmed
somehow
,
and
though
his
debts
were
considerable
,
and
he
was
literally
as
penniless
as
a
man
can
be
to
stay
in
the
Guards
at
all
,
he
had
never
in
any
shape
realised
the
want
of
money
.
He
might
not
be
able
to
raise
a
guinea
to
go
towards
that
longstanding
account
,
his
army
tailor
's
bill
,
and
post-obits
had
long
ago
forestalled
the
few
hundreds
a
year
that
,
under
his
mother
's
settlements
,
would
come
to
him
at
the
Viscount
's
death
;
but
Cecil
had
never
known
in
his
life
what
it
was
not
to
have
a
first-rate
stud
,
not
to
live
as
luxuriously
as
a
Duke
,
not
to
order
the
costliest
dinners
at
the
clubs
,
and
be
amongst
the
first
to
lead
all
the
splendid
entertainments
and
extravagances
of
the
Household
;
he
had
never
been
without
his
Highland
shooting
,
his
Baden
gaming
,
his
prize-winning
schooner
amongst
the
R
.
V.
Y
.
Squadron
,
his
September
battues
,
his
Pytchley
hunting
,
his
pretty
expensive
Zu-Zus
and
other
toys
,
his
drag
for
Epsom
and
his
trap
and
hack
for
the
Park
,
his
crowd
of
engagements
through
the
season
,
and
his
bevy
of
fair
leaders
of
the
fashion
to
smile
on
him
,
and
shower
their
invitation-cards
on
him
,
like
a
rain
of
rose-leaves
,
as
one
of
their
"
best
men
.
"
"
Best
,
"
that
is
in
the
sense
of
fashion
,
flirting
,
waltzing
,
and
general
social
distinction
;
in
no
other
sense
,
for
the
newest
of
débutantes
knew
well
that
"
Beauty
,
"
though
the
most
perfect
of
flirts
,
would
never
be
"
serious
,
"
and
had
nothing
to
be
serious
with
,
on
which
understanding
he
was
allowed
by
the
sex
to
have
the
run
of
their
boudoirs
and
drawing-rooms
much
as
if
he
were
a
little
lion-dog
;
they
counted
him
quite
"
safe
,
"
he
made
love
to
the
married
women
to
be
sure
,
but
he
was
quite
certain
not
to
run
away
with
the
marriageable
daughters
.
Hence
,
Bertie
had
never
felt
the
want
of
all
that
is
bought
by
and
represents
money
,
and
imbibed
a
vague
indistinct
impression
that
all
these
things
that
made
life
pleasant
came
by
Nature
,
and
were
the
natural
inheritance
and
concomitants
of
anybody
born
in
a
decent
station
,
and
endowed
with
a
tolerable
tact
;
such
a
matter-of-fact
difficulty
as
not
having
gold
enough
to
pay
for
his
own
and
his
stud
's
transit
to
the
Shires
had
very
rarely
stared
him
in
the
face
,
and
when
it
did
,
he
trusted
to
chance
to
lift
him
safely
over
such
a
social
"
yawner
,
"
and
rarely
trusted
in
vain
.
According
to
all
the
canons
of
his
Order
he
was
never
excited
,
never
disappointed
,
never
exhilarated
,
never
disturbed
,
and
also
of
course
never
by
any
chance
embarrassed
.
"
Votre
imperturbabilité
,
"
as
the
Prince
de
Ligne
used
to
designate
La
Grande
Catherine
,
would
have
been
an
admirable
designation
for
Cecil
;
he
was
imperturbable
under
everything
;
even
when
an
heiress
,
with
feet
as
colossal
as
her
fortune
,
made
him
a
proposal
of
marriage
,
and
he
had
to
retreat
from
all
the
offered
honours
and
threatened
horrors
,
courteously
,
but
steadily
declined
them
.
Nor
in
more
interesting
adventures
was
he
less
happy
in
his
coolness
.
When
my
Lord
Regalia
,
who
never
knew
when
he
was
not
wanted
,
came
in
inopportunely
in
a
very
tender
scene
of
the
young
Guardsman
's
(
then
but
a
Cornet
)
with
his
handsome
Countess
,
Cecil
lifted
his
lashes
lazily
,
turning
to
him
a
face
of
the
most
plait-il
?
and
innocent
demureness
—
or
consummate
impudence
,
whichever
you
like
.
"
We
're
playing
Solitaire
.
Interesting
game
.
Queer
fix
though
,
the
ball
's
in
,
that
's
left
all
alone
in
the
middle
,
do
n't
you
think
?
"
Lord
Regalia
felt
his
own
similarity
to
the
"
ball
in
a
fix
"
too
keenly
to
appreciate
the
interesting
character
of
the
amusement
,
or
the
coolness
of
the
chief
performer
in
it
;
but
"
Beauty
's
Solitaire
"
became
a
synonym
thenceforth
among
the
Household
to
typify
any
very
tender
passages
"
sotto
quartr
'
occhi
.
"
This
made
his
reputation
on
the
town
;
the
ladies
called
it
very
wicked
,
but
were
charmed
by
the
Richelieu-like
impudence
all
the
same
and
petted
the
sinner
;
and
from
then
till
now
he
had
held
his
own
with
them
;
dashing
through
life
very
fast
as
became
the
first
riding
man
in
the
Brigades
,
but
enjoying
it
very
fully
,
smoothly
,
and
softly
,
liking
the
world
,
and
being
liked
by
it
.
To
be
sure
,
in
the
background
there
was
always
that
ogre
of
money
,
and
the
beast
had
a
knack
of
gnawing
bigger
and
darker
every
year
;
but
then
,
on
the
other
hand
,
Cecil
never
looked
at
him
,
never
thought
about
him
,
knew
,
too
,
that
he
stood
just
as
much
behind
the
chairs
of
men
whom
the
world
accredited
as
millionaires
,
and
whenever
the
ogre
gave
him
a
cold
grip
that
there
was
for
the
moment
no
escaping
,
washed
away
the
touch
of
in
a
warm
fresh
draught
of
pleasure
.
CHAPTER
II
.
THE
LOOSE
BOX
,
AND
THE
TABAGIE
.
"
How
long
before
the
French
can
come
up
?
"
asked
Wellington
,
hearing
of
the
pursuit
that
was
thundering
close
on
his
rear
in
the
most
critical
hours
of
the
short
,
sultry
,
Spanish
night
.
"
Half
an
hour
at
least
,
"
was
the
answer
.
"
Very
well
,
then
,
I
will
turn
in
and
get
some
sleep
,
"
said
the
Commander-in-Chief
,
rolling
himself
in
a
cloak
,
and
lying
down
in
a
ditch
to
rest
as
soundly
for
the
single
half-hour
as
any
tired
drummer-boy
.
Serenely
as
Wellington
,
another
hero
slept
profoundly
,
on
the
eve
of
a
great
event
,
of
a
great
contest
to
be
met
when
the
day
should
break
,
of
a
critical
victory
,
depending
on
him
alone
to
save
the
Guards
of
England
from
defeat
and
shame
;
their
honour
and
their
hopes
rested
on
his
solitary
head
,
by
him
they
would
be
lost
or
saved
;
but
,
unharassed
by
the
magnitude
of
the
stake
at
issue
,
unhaunted
by
the
past
,
unfretted
by
the
future
,
he
slumbered
the
slumber
of
the
just
.
Not
Sir
Tristram
,
Sir
Calidore
,
Sir
Launcelot
,
no
,
nor
Arthur
himself
,
was
ever
truer
knight
,
was
ever
gentler
,
braver
,
bolder
,
more
staunch
of
heart
,
more
loyal
of
soul
,
than
he
to
whom
the
glory
of
the
Brigades
was
trusted
now
;
never
was
there
spirit
more
dauntless
and
fiery
in
the
field
,
never
temper
kindlier
and
more
generous
with
friends
and
foes
.
Miles
of
the
ridge
and
furrow
,
stiff
fences
of
terrible
blackthorn
,
double
posts
and
rails
,
yawners
and
croppers
both
,
tough
as
Shire
and
Stewards
could
make
them
,
awaited
him
on
the
morrow
;
on
his
beautiful
lean
head
capfuls
of
money
were
piled
by
the
Service
and
the
Talent
;
and
in
his
stride
all
the
fame
of
the
Household
would
be
centred
on
the
morrow
;
but
he
took
his
rest
like
the
cracker
he
was
—
standing
as
though
he
were
on
guard
,
and
steady
as
a
rock
,
a
hero
every
inch
of
him
.
For
he
was
Forest
King
,
the
great
steeple-chaser
,
on
whom
the
Guards
had
laid
all
their
money
for
the
Grand
Military
—
the
Soldiers
'
Blue
Riband
.
His
quarters
were
a
loose
box
,
his
camp-bed
a
litter
of
straw
fresh
shaken
down
,
his
clothing
a
very
handsome
rug
,
hood
,
and
quarter-piece
buckled
on
and
marked
B.C.
;
above
the
manger
and
the
door
was
lettered
his
own
name
in
gold
,
Forest
King
;
and
in
the
panels
of
the
latter
were
miniatures
of
his
sire
and
of
his
dam
:
Lord
of
the
Isles
,
one
of
the
greatest
hunters
that
the
grass
countries
ever
saw
sent
across
them
;
and
Bayadere
,
a
wild-pigeon-blue
mare
of
Circassia
.
How
farther
more
he
stretched
up
to
his
long
line
of
ancestry
by
The
Sovereign
,
out
of
Queen
of
Roses
,
by
Belted
Earl
,
out
of
Fallen
Star
,
by
Marmion
,
out
of
Court
Coquette
,
and
straight
up
to
the
White
Cockade
blood
,
etc.
etc.
,
is
it
not
written
in
the
mighty
and
immortal
chronicle
,
precious
as
the
Koran
,
patrician
as
the
Peerage
,
known
and
beloved
to
mortals
as
the
"
Stud-Book
"
?
Not
an
immensely
large
or
unusually
powerful
horse
,
but
with
race
in
every
line
of
him
;
steel-grey
in
colour
,
darkening
well
at
all
points
,
shining
and
soft
as
satin
,
with
the
firm
muscles
quivering
beneath
at
the
first
touch
of
excitement
to
the
high
mettle
and
finely-strung
organisation
;
the
head
small
,
lean
,
racer-like
,
"
blood
"
all
over
,
with
the
delicate
taper
ears
,
almost
transparent
in
full
light
;
well
ribbed-up
,
fine
shoulders
,
admirable
girth
and
loins
;
legs
clean
,
slender
,
firm
,
promising
splendid
knee
action
;
sixteen
hands
high
,
and
up
to
thirteen
stone
;
clever
enough
for
anything
,
trained
to
close
and
open
country
,
a
perfect
brook
jumper
,
a
clipper
at
fencing
,
taking
a
great
deal
of
riding
,
as
any
one
could
tell
by
the
set-on
of
his
neck
,
but
docile
as
a
child
to
a
well-known
hand
;
such
was
Forest
King
with
his
English
and
Eastern
strains
,
winner
at
Chertsey
,
Croydon
,
the
National
,
the
Granby
,
the
Belvoir
Castle
,
the
Curragh
,
and
all
the
gentleman-rider
steeple-chases
and
military
sweepstakes
in
the
kingdom
,
and
entered
now
,
with
tremendous
bets
on
him
,
for
the
Gilt
Vase
.
It
was
a
crisp
cold
night
outside
,
starry
and
wintry
,
but
open
weather
,
and
clear
;
the
ground
would
be
just
right
on
the
morrow
,
neither
hard
as
the
slate
of
a
billiard-table
,
nor
wet
as
the
slush
of
a
quagmire
.
Forest
King
slept
steadily
on
in
his
warm
and
spacious
box
,
dreaming
doubtless
of
days
of
victory
,
cub-hunting
in
the
reedy
October
woods
and
pastures
,
of
the
ringing
notes
of
the
horn
,
and
the
sweet
music
of
the
pack
,
and
the
glorious
quick
burst
up-wind
,
breasting
the
icy
cold
water
,
and
showing
the
way
over
fence
and
bullfinch
.
Dozing
and
dreaming
pleasantly
;
but
alert
for
all
that
;
for
he
awoke
suddenly
,
shook
himself
,
had
an
hilarious
roll
in
the
straw
,
and
stood
"
at
attention
.
"
Awake
only
,
could
you
tell
the
generous
and
gallant
promise
of
his
perfect
temper
;
for
there
are
no
eyes
that
speak
more
truly
,
none
on
earth
that
are
so
beautiful
,
as
the
eyes
of
a
horse
.
Forest
King
's
were
dark
as
a
gazelle
's
,
soft
as
a
woman
's
,
brilliant
as
stars
,
a
little
dreamy
and
mournful
,
and
as
infinitely
caressing
when
he
looked
at
what
he
loved
,
as
they
could
blaze
full
of
light
and
fire
when
danger
was
near
and
rivalry
against
him
.
How
loyally
such
eyes
have
looked
at
me
over
the
paddock
fence
,
as
a
wild
happy
gallop
was
suddenly
broken
for
a
gentle
head
to
be
softly
pushed
against
my
hand
with
the
gentlest
of
welcomes
!
They
sadly
put
to
shame
the
million
human
eyes
that
so
fast
learn
the
lie
of
the
world
,
and
utter
it
as
falsely
as
the
lips
.
The
steeple-chaser
stood
alert
,
every
fibre
of
his
body
strung
to
pleasurable
excitation
;
the
door
opened
,
a
hand
held
him
some
sugar
,
and
the
voice
he
loved
best
said
fondly
,
"
All
right
,
old
boy
?
"
Forest
King
devoured
the
beloved
dainty
with
true
equine
unction
,
rubbed
his
forehead
against
his
master
's
shoulder
,
and
pushed
his
nose
into
the
nearest
pocket
in
search
for
more
of
his
sweetmeat
.
"
You
'd
eat
a
sugar-loaf
,
you
dear
old
rascal
.
Put
the
gas
up
,
George
,
"
said
his
owner
,
while
he
turned
up
the
body
clothing
to
feel
the
firm
,
cool
skin
,
loosened
one
of
the
bandages
,
passed
his
hand
from
thigh
to
fetlock
,
and
glanced
round
the
box
to
be
sure
the
horse
had
been
well
suppered
and
littered
down
.
"
Think
we
shall
win
,
Rake
?
"
Rake
,
with
a
stable-lantern
in
his
hand
and
a
forage-cap
on
one
side
of
his
head
,
standing
a
little
in
advance
of
a
group
of
grooms
and
helpers
,
took
a
bit
of
straw
out
of
his
mouth
,
and
smiled
a
smile
of
sublime
scorn
and
security
.
"
Win
,
sir
?
I
should
be
glad
to
know
as
when
was
that
ere
King
ever
beat
yet
,
or
you
either
,
sir
,
for
that
matter
?
"
Bertie
Cecil
laughed
a
little
languidly
.
"
Well
,
we
take
a
good
deal
of
beating
,
I
think
,
and
there
are
not
very
many
who
can
give
it
us
;
are
there
,
old
fellow
?
"
he
said
to
the
horse
,
as
he
passed
his
palm
over
the
withers
;
"
but
there
are
some
crushers
in
the
lot
to-morrow
;
you
'll
have
to
do
all
you
know
.
"
Forest
King
caught
the
manger
with
his
teeth
,
and
kicked
in
a
bit
of
play
and
ate
some
more
sugar
,
with
much
licking
of
his
lips
to
express
the
nonchalance
with
which
he
viewed
his
share
in
the
contest
,
and
his
tranquil
certainty
of
being
first
past
the
flags
.
His
master
looked
at
him
once
more
and
sauntered
out
of
the
box
.
"
He
's
in
first-rate
form
,
Rake
,
and
right
as
a
trivet
.
"
"
In
course
he
is
,
sir
;
nobody
ever
laid
leg
over
such
cattle
as
all
that
White
Cockade
blood
,
and
he
's
the
very
best
of
the
strain
,
"
said
Rake
,
as
he
held
up
his
lantern
across
the
stable-yard
,
that
looked
doubly
dark
in
the
February
night
after
the
bright
gas
glare
of
the
box
.
"
So
he
need
be
,
"
thought
Cecil
,
as
a
bull
terrier
,
three
or
four
Gordon
setters
,
an
Alpine
mastiff
,
and
two
wiry
Skyes
dashed
at
their
chains
,
giving
tongue
in
frantic
delight
at
the
sound
of
his
step
,
while
the
hounds
echoed
the
welcome
from
their
more
distant
kennels
,
and
he
went
slowly
across
the
great
stone
yard
,
with
the
end
of
a
huge
cheroot
glimmering
through
the
gloom
.
"
So
he
need
be
,
to
pull
me
through
.
The
Ducal
and
the
October
let
me
in
for
it
enough
;
I
never
was
closer
in
my
life
.
The
deuce
,
if
I
do
n't
do
the
distance
to-morrow
,
I
sha
n't
have
sovereigns
enough
to
play
pound-points
at
night
!
I
do
n't
know
what
a
man
's
to
do
;
if
he
's
put
into
this
life
he
must
go
the
pace
of
it
.
Why
did
Royal
send
me
into
the
Guards
,
if
he
meant
to
keep
the
screw
on
in
this
way
;
he
'd
better
have
drafted
me
into
a
marching
regiment
at
once
,
if
he
wanted
me
to
live
upon
nothing
.
"
Nothing
meant
anything
under
6000
l
.
a
year
with
Cecil
,
as
the
minimum
of
monetary
necessities
in
this
world
,
and
a
look
of
genuine
annoyance
and
trouble
,
most
unusual
there
,
was
on
his
face
,
the
picture
of
carelessness
and
gentle
indifference
habitually
,
though
shadowed
now
as
he
crossed
the
courtyard
after
his
after-midnight
visit
to
his
steeple-chaser
.
He
had
backed
Forest
King
heavily
,
and
stood
to
win
or
lose
a
cracker
on
his
own
riding
on
the
morrow
;
and
though
he
had
found
sufficient
to
bring
him
into
the
Shires
,
he
had
barely
enough
lying
on
his
dressing-table
,
up
in
the
bachelor
suite
within
,
to
pay
his
groom
's
book
,
or
a
notion
where
to
get
more
,
if
the
King
should
find
his
match
over
the
ridge
and
furrow
in
the
morning
!
It
was
not
pleasant
:
a
cynical
,
savage
world-disgusted
Timon
derives
on
the
whole
a
good
amount
of
satisfaction
from
his
break-down
,
in
the
fine
philippics
against
his
contemporaries
that
it
is
certain
to
afford
,
and
the
magnificent
grievances
with
which
it
furnishes
him
;
but
when
life
is
very
pleasant
to
a
man
,
and
the
world
very
fond
of
him
;
when
existence
is
perfectly
smooth
—
bar
that
single
pressure
of
money
—
and
is
an
incessantly
changing
kaleidoscope
of
London
seasons
,
Paris
winters
,
ducal
houses
in
the
hunting
months
,
dinners
at
the
Pall
Mall
Clubs
,
dinners
at
the
Star
and
Garter
,
dinners
irreproachable
everywhere
,
cottage
for
Ascot
week
,
yachting
with
the
R
.
V.
Y
.
Club
,
Derby
handicaps
at
Hornsey
,
pretty
chorus-singers
set
up
in
Bijou
villas
,
dashing
rosières
taken
over
to
Baden
,
warm
corners
in
Belvoir
,
Savernake
,
and
Longeat
battues
,
and
all
the
rest
of
the
general
programme
,
with
no
drawback
to
it
except
the
duties
at
the
Palace
,
the
heat
of
a
review
,
or
the
extravagance
of
a
pampered
lionne
,
then
to
be
pulled
up
in
that
easy
swinging
gallop
for
sheer
want
of
a
golden
shoe
,
as
one
may
say
,
is
abominably
bitter
,
and
requires
far
more
philosophy
to
endure
than
Timon
would
ever
manage
to
muster
.
It
is
a
bore
,
an
unmitigated
bore
,
a
harsh
,
hateful
,
unrelieved
martyrdom
that
the
world
does
not
see
,
and
that
the
world
not
pity
if
it
did
.
"
Never
mind
!
Things
will
come
right
.
Forest
King
never
failed
me
yet
;
he
is
as
full
of
running
as
a
Derby
winner
,
and
he
'll
go
over
the
yawners
like
a
bird
,
"
thought
Cecil
,
who
never
confronted
his
troubles
with
more
than
sixty
seconds
'
thought
,
and
who
was
of
that
light
,
impassable
,
half-levity
,
half-languor
of
temperament
that
both
throws
off
worry
easily
,
and
shirks
it
persistently
.
"
Sufficient
for
the
day
,
"
etc.
,
was
the
essence
of
his
creed
;
and
if
he
had
enough
to
lay
a
fiver
at
night
on
the
rubber
,
he
was
quite
able
to
forget
for
the
time
that
he
wanted
five
hundred
for
settling-day
in
the
morning
,
and
had
not
an
idea
how
to
get
it
.
There
was
not
a
trace
of
anxiety
on
him
when
he
opened
a
lowarched
door
,
passed
down
a
corridor
,
and
entered
the
warm
full
light
of
that
chamber
of
liberty
,
that
sanctuary
of
the
persecuted
,
that
temple
of
refuge
,
thrice
blessed
in
all
its
forms
throughout
the
land
,
that
consecrated
Mecca
of
every
true
believer
in
the
divinity
of
the
meerschaum
,
and
the
paradise
of
the
narghilé
,
—
the
smoking-room
.
A
spacious
easy
chamber
,
too
,
lined
with
the
laziest
of
divans
,
seen
just
now
through
a
fog
of
smoke
,
and
tenanted
by
nearly
a
score
of
men
in
every
imaginable
loose
velvet
costume
,
and
with
faces
as
well
known
in
the
Park
at
six
o'clock
in
May
,
and
on
the
Heath
in
October
,
in
Paris
in
January
,
and
on
the
Solent
in
August
,
in
Pratts
'
of
a
summer
's
night
,
and
on
the
Moors
in
an
autumn
morning
,
as
though
they
were
features
that
came
round
as
regularly
as
the
"
July
"
or
the
Waterloo
Cup
.
Some
were
puffing
away
in
calm
meditative
comfort
,
in
silence
that
they
would
not
have
broken
for
any
earthly
consideration
;
others
were
talking
hard
and
fast
,
and
through
the
air
heavily
weighted
with
the
varieties
of
tobacco
,
from
tiny
cigarettes
to
giant
cheroots
,
from
rough
bowls
full
of
cavendish
to
sybaritic
rose-water
hookahs
,
a
Babel
of
sentences
rose
together
:
—
"
Gave
him
too
much
riding
,
the
idiot
.
"
"
Take
the
field
,
bar
one
.
"
"
Nothing
so
good
for
the
mare
as
a
little
nitre
and
antimony
in
her
mash
.
"
"
Not
at
all
!
the
Regent
and
Rake
cross
in
the
old
strain
,
always
was
black-tan
with
a
white
frill
.
"
"
The
Earl
's
as
good
a
fellow
as
Lady
Flora
;
always
give
you
a
mount
.
"
"
Nothing
like
a
Kate
Terry
,
though
,
on
a
bright
day
for
salmon
.
"
"
Faster
thing
I
never
knew
;
found
at
twenty
minutes
past
eleven
,
and
killed
just
beyond
Longdown
Water
at
ten
to
twelve
.
"
All
these
various
phrases
were
rushing
in
among
each
other
,
and
tossed
across
the
eddies
of
smoke
in
the
conflicting
of
tongues
loosened
in
the
tabagie
and
made
eloquent
,
though
slightly
inarticulate
,
by
pipe-stems
;
while
a
tall
,
fair
man
,
with
the
limbs
of
a
Hercules
,
the
chest
of
a
prize-fighter
,
and
the
face
of
a
Raphael
Angel
,
known
in
the
Household
as
Seraph
,
was
in
the
full
flood
of
a
story
of
whist
played
under
difficulties
in
the
Doncaster
express
.
"
I
wanted
a
monkey
;
I
wanted
monkeys
awfully
,
"
he
was
stating
as
Forest
King
's
owner
came
into
the
smoking-room
.
"
Did
you
,
Seraph
?
The
'
Zoo
'
or
the
Clubs
could
supply
you
with
apes
fully
developed
to
any
amount
,
"
said
Bertie
,
as
he
threw
himself
down
.
"
You
be
hanged
!
"
laughed
the
Seraph
,
known
to
the
rest
of
the
world
as
the
Marquis
of
Rockingham
,
son
of
the
Duke
of
Lyonnesse
.
"
I
wished
monkeys
,
but
the
others
wished
ponies
and
hundreds
,
so
I
gave
in
;
Vandeleur
and
I
won
two
rubbers
,
and
we
'd
just
begun
the
third
,
when
the
train
stopped
with
a
crash
;
none
of
us
dropped
the
cards
though
,
but
the
tricks
and
the
scores
all
went
down
with
the
shaking
.
'
Ca
n't
play
in
that
row
,
'
said
Charlie
,
for
the
women
were
shrieking
like
mad
,
and
the
engine
was
roaring
like
my
mare
Philippa
—
I
'm
afraid
she
'll
never
be
cured
,
poor
thing
!
—
so
I
put
my
head
out
and
asked
what
was
up
?
We
'd
run
into
a
cattle
train
.
Anybody
hurt
?
No
,
nobody
hurt
;
but
we
were
to
get
out
.
'
I
'll
be
shot
if
I
get
out
,
'
I
told
'
em
,
'
till
I
've
finished
the
rubber
.
'
'
But
you
must
get
out
,
'
said
the
guard
;
'
carriages
must
be
moved
.
'
'
Nobody
says
"
must
"
to
him
,
'
said
Van
(
he
'd
drank
more
Perles
du
Rhin
than
was
good
for
him
at
Doncaster
)
;
'
do
n't
you
know
the
Seraph
?
'
Man
stared
.
'
Yes
,
sir
,
know
the
Seraph
,
sir
;
leastways
,
did
sir
,
afore
he
died
;
see
him
once
at
Moulsey
Mill
,
sir
;
his
"
one
,
two
"
was
amazin
'
.
Waters
soon
threw
up
the
sponge
.
'
We
were
all
dying
with
laughter
,
and
I
tossed
him
a
tenner
.
'
There
,
my
good
fellow
,
'
said
I
,
'
shunt
the
carriage
and
let
us
finish
the
game
.
If
another
train
comes
up
,
give
it
Lord
Rockingham
's
compliments
and
say
he
'll
thank
it
to
stop
,
because
collisions
shake
his
trumps
together
.
'
Man
thought
us
mad
—
took
tenner
though
—
shunted
us
to
one
side
out
of
the
noise
,
and
we
played
two
rubbers
more
before
they
'd
repaired
the
damage
and
sent
us
on
to
town
.
"
And
the
Seraph
took
a
long-drawn
whiff
from
his
silver
meerschaum
,
and
then
a
deep
draught
of
soda
and
brandy
to
refresh
himself
after
the
narrative
;
—
biggest
,
best-tempered
,
and
wildest
of
men
in
or
out
of
the
Service
,
despite
the
angelic
character
of
his
fair-haired
head
,
and
blue
eyes
that
looked
as
clear
and
as
innocent
as
those
of
a
six-year-old
child
.
"
Not
the
first
time
,
by
a
good
many
,
that
you
've
'
shunted
off
the
straight
,
'
Seraph
?
"
laughed
Cecil
,
substituting
an
amber
mouthpiece
for
his
half-finished
cheroot
.
"
I
've
been
having
a
good-night
look
at
the
King
.
He
'll
stay
.
"
"
Of
course
