little away to take
a pink out of his buttonhole and begin nibbling the stalk, and Jenny
turning in the other direction so that her lover should not see a little
sign of weakness in her eyes, which she strove hard to master, and so
well that in a short time, when she spoke again, her voice sounded sharp
and without a tremor.

"A pretty game, I'm sure, sir. Races indeed, and betting too! Sir
Hilton had better take your precious dogcart and go La Sylphiding. You
mark my words, if he does her ladyship will be sure to find it out, and
then if she suspects you had anything to do with it you'll get the
sack."

"Well, I don't know as it matters much," said the groom, drearily. "You
don't seem to understand a fellow, and it's all wrong here, and it's
miserable to see the poor guv'nor so down in the mouth."

"Down in the mouth indeed, after missus's father found the money to pay
all his debts, and four thousand pounds for him to go into Parliament as
an M.P."

"Tchah! Such nonsense! Our Sir Hilton ain't going to give up the Turf
and chuck hisself away like that."

"Chuck hisself away?"

"Yes. Turn Jawkins. Him going to turn himself into a talking windmill,
a-waving his arms about? Not he. But how come you to hear that?"

"Mr Trimmer told me."

"Mr Trimmer! How come he to tell you?" said the young man, with his
face growing dark.

"Oh, Mr Trimmer is very pleasant and friendly to me sometimes."

"Oh, is he? Then he ain't going to be, and so I tell him. A long,
lanky, white-chokered imitation Methody parson, that's what he is! What
right has he got to be civil to you, I should like to know?"

"Well, I'm sure, sir," cried the girl, whose eyes were sparkling with
delight to see how her lover was moved, "I don't know what her
ladyship's bailiff and agent and steward and confidential man would
say--him, a real gentleman--if he heard what poor Sir Hilton's groom and
valet said."

"Gentleman--confidential man! Why, he ain't half a man, and he ain't
the good sanctified chap he pretends to be, and I'd tell him so to his
face. Look here, Jenny; he may be her ladyship's, but he ain't going to
be your confidential man. But there, I ain't no right to say nothing, I
suppose, and this about finishes it. Ladyship or no ladyship, whether
the guv'nor comes or whether he don't, I'm going over to Tilborough
racecourse 'safternoon, and if La Sylphide don't pull it off for me I
shall make a hole in the water and leave