e asked casually.

Adrien started at the question, and smiled.

"Not I," he said, "I leave that to Jasper--I call him my walking
account-book. I'm sorry you fellows were let in though; I can't
understand it; although"--with a rueful laugh--"I suppose it was my
fault with that tenner. Yet, I must say, I noticed the man as he
galloped past, and saw no, signs of anything wrong."

"Nor I," put in Vermont. "I was in the weighting-room, and saw him
scaled. He was all right then. He always was white and seedy-looking. I
saw nothing wrong."

"Nor I," echoed the others.

Adrien lit another cigar, and the light fell full on his grave face.

"The losses are heavy all round; yet, speaking for myself," he said, "I
would have rather dropped treble the amount than that poor fellow should
have lost his life by a horse of mine."

"His own fault. It was absolutely a case of suicide," declared Lord
Standon angrily. "He put the 'King' to that last hurdle half a minute
too soon. The horse was not to blame; he would have taken the hedge, and
another on top of that, but for that unlucky spurt. 'Pon my soul," he
concluded hotly, "if I didn't know how well he'd been cared for, I
should have said it was done on purpose!"

Unlucky youth! he little knew the harm he had done his empty pockets by
this rash speech. Jasper Vermont's eyes narrowed, as was their wont when
anything occurred to annoy him, and he registered a mental note against
the unfortunate peer's name.

Adrien frowned, as he rose with the rest.

"That is impossible," he said, almost sternly; "Jasper saw to that too
well. But, in future, no one shall ride the 'King' but myself; he's just
up to my weight," he concluded. "Jasper, enter him for the Cup. We will
give him a chance to retrieve this day's failure."

Jasper had risen with him, and amid a volley of good-nights, the two men
passed into the corridor. As Adrien was about to ascend the stairs to
his own apartment, he turned to Vermont, and said quietly:

"Jasper, I should like that poor fellow to have a Christian burial in
the private chapel; and if there are relations, find them out----" He
broke off abruptly. "There, you know better than I what to do, and how
to do it. Oh! just one word more; of course, I shall see that no notice
is taken of his delirious ravings. Good-night, old man."

Jasper thanked him and returned his "good-night" with sympathetic
cordiality; then turned softly to his own apartment. Having reac