ed Silverbridge. But Mr. Pook was also still in
bed.

It was soon known to Lord Silverbridge as a fact that in very truth
the horse could not run. Then sick with headache, with a stomach
suffering unutterable things, he had, as he dressed himself, to
think of his seventy thousand pounds. Of course the money would be
forthcoming. But how would his father look at him? How would it be
between him and his father now? After such a misfortune how would he
be able to break that other matter to the Duke, and say that he had
changed his mind about his marriage,--that he was going to abandon
Lady Mabel Grex, and give his hand and a future Duchess's coronet to
an American girl whose grandfather had been a porter?

A nail in his foot! Well! He had heard of such things before. He knew
that such accidents had happened. What an ass must he have been to
risk such a sum on the well-being and safety of an animal who might
any day pick up a nail in his foot? Then he thought of the caution
which Lupton had given him. What good would the money have done him
had he won it? What more could he have than he now enjoyed? But to
lose such a sum of money! With all his advantages of wealth he felt
himself to be as forlorn and wretched as though he had nothing left
in the world before him.

CHAPTER XLIV

How It Was Done

The story was soon about the town, and was the one matter for
discussion in all racing quarters. About the town! It was about
England, about all Europe. It had travelled to America and the
Indies, to Australia and the Chinese cities before two hours were
over. Before the race was run the accident was discussed and
something like the truth surmised in Cairo, Calcutta, Melbourne, and
San Francisco. But at Doncaster it was so all-pervading a matter that
down to the tradesmen's daughters and the boys at the free-school
the town was divided into two parties, one party believing it to
have been a "plant," and the other holding that the cause had been
natural. It is hardly necessary to say that the ring, as a rule,
belonged to the former party. The ring always suspects. It did not
behove even those who would win by the transaction to stand up for
its honesty.

The intention had been to take the horse round a portion of the
outside of the course near to which his stable stood. A boy rode him
and the groom and Tifto went with him. At a certain spot on their
return Tifto had exclaimed that the horse was going lame in his
off