d Nana to
choose Hazard, the most defective of the lot, a horse nobody would have
anything to do with. Hazard, by jingo--such superb lines and such an
action! That horse was going to astonish the people.

"No," said Nana, "I'm going to put ten louis on Lusignan and five on
Boum."

La Faloise burst forth at once:

"But, my dear girl, Boum's all rot! Don't choose him! Gasc himself is
chucking up backing his own horse. And your Lusignan--never! Why, it's
all humbug! By Lamb and Princess--just think! By Lamb and Princess--no,
by Jove! All too short in the legs!"

He was choking. Philippe pointed out that, notwithstanding this,
Lusignan had won the Prix des Cars and the Grande Poule des Produits.
But the other ran on again. What did that prove? Nothing at all. On the
contrary, one ought to distrust him. And besides, Gresham rode Lusignan;
well then, let them jolly well dry up! Gresham had bad luck; he would
never get to the post.

And from one end of the field to the other the discussion raging in
Nana's landau seemed to spread and increase. Voices were raised in a
scream; the passion for gambling filled the air, set faces glowing
and arms waving excitedly, while the bookmakers, perched on their
conveyances, shouted odds and jotted down amounts right furiously. Yet
these were only the small fry of the betting world; the big bets were
made in the weighing enclosure. Here, then, raged the keen contest
of people with light purses who risked their five-franc pieces and
displayed infinite covetousness for the sake of a possible gain of a
few louis. In a word, the battle would be between Spirit and Lusignan.
Englishmen, plainly recognizable as such, were strolling about among
the various groups. They were quite at home; their faces were fiery with
excitement; they were afready triumphant. Bramah, a horse belonging to
Lord Reading, had gained the Grand Prix the previous year, and this had
been a defeat over which hearts were still bleeding. This year it would
be terrible if France were beaten anew. Accordingly all the ladies were
wild with national pride. The Vandeuvres stable became the rampart
of their honor, and Lusignan was pushed and defended and applauded
exceedingly. Gaga, Blanche, Caroline and the rest betted on Lusignan.
Lucy Stewart abstained from this on account of her son, but it was
bruited abroad that Rose Mignon had commissioned Labordette to risk two
hundred louis for her. The Tricon, as she sat alone next her