l of the Downs.

"Let's go slow," he said.

She accommodated herself to his stroll.

"By Jove," he said slowly. "It _is_ a delight to get down here again.
And I don't feel anything's changed really."

"Nor has it _really_," replied the girl.

CHAPTER XXXI

God Almighty's Mustang

Jim Silver turned out of the yard into the office.

As the young man entered, the old trainer sat dumped in his chair, rosy,
bald, with innocent blue eyes, like a baby without a bib, waiting for
its bottle. His round head was deeper between his shoulders than of old,
and his pink face was strained and solicitous.

Some men said he was over eighty now.

"Well, sir," he wheezed, "I see you take it good and game."

"No good crying over spilt milk," replied Silver.

The old trainer raised his hand as he settled in his seat.

"Don't tell me," he said. "It's them there li'bilities. I was always
agin 'em. Said so to Boy four year back. 'Cash in 'and's one thing,' I
says. 'And li'bilities is another and totally different.'" He lifted a
keen blue eye. "I understand from what Mr. Haggard tell me, you could
ha' dodged 'em out o' some of it--only you was too straight." He held up
a disapproving finger. "That's just where you done wrong, Mr. Silver. No
good ever come o' bein' _too_ straight, as I often says to Mar. You're
only askin' for trouble--same as the Psalmist says. And now you got to
pay for it."

"Well, they're all satisfied now," laughed Silver. "And so am I."

"I should think they was," snorted Mat Woodburn. "I see 'em settin'
round, swellin' and swellin', and rubbin' their fat paunches. Think
they'll keep a nag among the lot of 'em! Not so much as a broken-down
towel-hoss."

Silver stared out of the window.

"I shall have to sell the horses," he said.

The old man banged the table.

"Never!" he cried. "They've took a slice off o' you, and now you must
take a bit off o' them. That mayn't be religion, but it's _right_ all
right!"

He rose and, kicking off his slippers, padded to the door and looked
out. Then he peeped out into the forsaken yard and half drew the
curtain.

Silver, who loved the old man most when he was most mysterious, watched
him with kind eyes that laughed.

"I don't bet, Mr. Silver, as you know," began the other huskily, "except
when it's a cert., because it's against _her_ principles." He looked
round him and dropped his voice. "But I took a thousand to ten about
Fo'-Pound-the-Second at Gat