the fire.

BORRING. Phew! Won't Dancy be mad! He gave that filly away to save her
keep. He was rather pleased to find somebody who'd take her. Bentman
must have won a p-pot. She was at thirty-threes a fortnight ago.

ST ERTH. All the money goes to fellows who don't know a horse from a
haystack.

CANYNGE. [Profoundly] And care less. Yes! We want men racing to whom
a horse means something.

BORRING. I thought the horse m-meant the same to everyone, General--
chance to get the b-better of one's neighbour.

CANYNGE. [With feeling] The horse is a noble animal, sir, as you'd know
if you'd owed your life to them as often as I have.

BORRING. They always try to take mine, General. I shall never belong to
the noble f-fellowship of the horse.

ST ERTH. [Drily] Evidently. Deal!

As BORRING begins to deal the door is opened and MAJOR COLFORD
appears--a lean and moustached cavalryman.

BORRING. Hallo, C-Colford.

COLFORD. General!

Something in the tone of his voice brings them all to a standstill.

COLFORD. I want your advice. Young De Levis in there [He points to the
billiard-room from which he has just come] has started a blasphemous
story--

CANYNGE. One moment. Mr Borring, d'you mind--

COLFORD. It makes no odds, General. Four of us in there heard him.
He's saying it was Ronald Dancy robbed him down at WINSOR's. The
fellow's mad over losing the price of that filly now she's won the
Cambridgeshire.

BORRING. [All ears] Dancy! Great S-Scott!

COLFORD. Dancy's in the Club. If he hadn't been I'd have taken it on
myself to wring the bounder's neck.

WINSOR and BORRING have risen. ST ERTH alone remains seated.

CANYNGE. [After consulting ST ERTH with a look] Ask De Levis to be good
enough to come in here. Borring, you might see that Dancy doesn't leave
the Club. We shall want him. Don't say anything to him, and use your
tact to keep people off.

BORRING goes out, followed by COLFORD. WINSOR. Result of hearing
he was black-balled--pretty slippy.

CANYNGE. St Erth, I told you there was good reason when I asked you to
back young De Levis. WINSOR and I knew of this insinuation; I wanted to
keep his tongue quiet. It's just wild assertion; to have it bandied
about was unfair to Dancy. The duel used to keep people's tongues in
order.

ST ERTH. H'm! It never settled anything, except who could shoot
straightest.

COLFORD. [Re-