rainers this time. One to travel to
Scotland, and begin with him at his brother's house. The other to take
him up, with a fresh eye to him, on his return to London. He turned over
in his mind the performances of the formidable rival against whom he was
to be matched. That other man was the swiftest runner of the two.
The betting in Geoffrey's favor was betting which calculated on the
unparalleled length of the race, and on Geoffrey's prodigious powers of
endurance. How long he should "wait on" the man? Whereabouts it would
be safe to "pick the man up?" How near the end to calculate the man's
exhaustion to a nicety, and "put on the spurt," and pass him? These were
nice points to decide. The deliberations of a pedestrian-privy-council
would be required to help him under this heavy responsibility. What men
could he trust? He could trust A. and B.--both of them authorities:
both of them stanch. Query about C.? As an authority, unexceptionable;
as a man, doubtful. The problem relating to C. brought him to a
standstill--and declined to be solved, even then. Never mind! he could
always take the advice of A. and B. In the mean time devote C. to the
infernal regions; and, thus dismissing him, try and think of something
else. What else? Mrs. Glenarm? Oh, bother the women! one of them is the
same as another. They all waddle when they run; and they all fill their
stomachs before dinner with sloppy tea. That's the only difference
between women and men--the rest is nothing but a weak imitation of Us.
Devote the women to the infernal regions; and, so dismissing _them,_ try
and think of something else. Of what? Of something worth thinking of,
this time--of filling another pipe.

He took out his tobacco-pouch; and suddenly suspended operations at the
moment of opening it.

What was the object he saw, on the other side of a row of dwarf
pear-trees, away to the right? A woman--evidently a servant by her
dress--stooping down with her back to him, gathering something: herbs
they looked like, as well as he could make them out at the distance.

What was that thing hanging by a string at the woman's side? A slate?
Yes. What the deuce did she want with a slate at her side? He was in
search of something to divert his mind--and here it was found. "Any
thing will do for me," he thought. "Suppose I 'chaff' her a little about
her slate?"

He called to the woman across the pear-trees. "Hullo!"

The woman raised herself, and advanced toward him s