so, and that will ensure one
vote."

"The grey mare's the better horse," said Sir Hilton to himself, and he
was thinking of the train of circumstances in connection with the race,
and planning to rush off and try to forestall the doctor's risking
money, as he sat back in his chair, when, slowly slouching along after
passing through the swing gate, one of the regular hangers-on of a
race-meeting approached the house. His aspect was battered, and the
pink hunting-coat--one which had seen very much better days--was rubbed
to whiteness here and greased to blackness there. It was frayed and
patched, and wore the general aspect of having been used as a sleeping
garment on occasion, being decorated with scraps of hay, prickly seed
vessels, and the like, in addition to the chalky dust of the road, a
good deal of which powdered the round-topped, peaked hunting cap, once
of black velvet, now all fibre, with scarcely a trace of nap.

The coat was closely buttoned up to the throat, and a pair of much-worn
cord trousers completed the man's costume, all but his boots, which were
ornamented with slashings, for the benefit, probably, of bunions, for if
intended for effect, after the fashion of an old stuffed doublet, the
effort was a mistake.

But there was no mistake about the man's profession. He was hall-marked
"tramp" by his blear eyes and horribly reddened, bulbous nose, and
racing-tout by the packet of race-cards peering out of his
breast-pocket. But evidently he was a man of much invention, inasmuch
as from a desire to do a little trading on his way from racecourse to
racecourse, or for an excuse to find his way to houses where he might
pick up unconsidered trifles, cadging, filching, and the like, he
carried in one hand a fat, white mongrel puppy, with a bit of blue
ribbon tied about its neck. As a dog, it was about as bad a specimen as
could be met with in a day's march; but it had one advantage over its
owner--it was scrupulously clean.

The squire of the Denes was not within the scope of the tramp's view, as
he loafed up with his blear eyes twinkling; and for the moment the shape
of the room hid Lady Lisle, till the big Persian cat, the minute before
apparently fast asleep, curled up on an ottoman upon which the sun shone
warmly, suddenly smelt dog, and sprang to all fours, arching its back,
bottle-brushing its tail, and baring its white teeth, as it began to
swear loudly.

"Oh, Khan, Khan, what is the matter?" c