at the horse had been made the victim of
foul play; but he persisted in saying that there was no conclusive
evidence against Tifto. The matter was argued with him. Tifto had
laid bets against the horse; Tifto had been hand-and-glove with
Green; Tifto could not have been absent from the horse above two
minutes; the thing could not have been arranged without Tifto. As
he had brought Tifto into the club, and had been his partner on the
turf, it was his business to look into the matter. "But for all
that," said he, "I'm not going to jump on a man when he's down,
unless I feel sure that he's guilty."

Then the meeting was held, and Tifto himself appeared. When the
accusation was made by Mr. Lupton, who proposed that he should be
expelled, he burst into tears. The whole story was repeated,--the
nail, and the hammer, and the lameness; and the moments were counted
up, and poor Tifto's bets and friendship with Green were made
apparent,--and the case was submitted to the club. An old gentleman
who had been connected with the turf all his life, and who would not
have scrupled, by square betting, to rob his dearest friend of his
last shilling, seconded the proposition,--telling all the story over
again. Then Major Tifto was asked whether he wished to say anything.

"I've got to say that I'm here," said Tifto, still crying, "and if
I'd done anything of that kind, of course I'd have gone with the rest
of 'em. I put it to Lord Silverbridge to say whether I'm that sort of
fellow." Then he sat down.

Upon this there was a pause, and the club was manifestly of opinion
that Lord Silverbridge ought to say something. "I think that Major
Tifto should not have betted against the horse," said Silverbridge.

"I can explain that," said the Major. "Let me explain that. Everybody
knows that I'm a man of small means. I wanted to 'edge, I only wanted
to 'edge."

Mr. Lupton shook his head. "Why have you not shown me your book?"

"I told you before that it was stolen. Green got hold of it. I did
win a little. I never said I didn't. But what has that to do with
hammering a nail into a horse's foot? I have always been true to you,
Lord Silverbridge, and you ought to stick up for me now."

"I will have nothing further to do with the matter," said
Silverbridge, "one way or the other," and he walked out of the
room,--and out of the club. The affair was ended by a magnanimous
declaration on the part of Major Tifto that he would not remain in a
club