"I've put every shilling I'm worth in the world on you," pursued Perry,
relapsing into tenderness. "And I tell you I felt it! It cut me to the
heart when I see you coming along with a woman at your heels. It's a
fraud on his backers, I says to myself--that's what it is, a fraud on
his backers!"

"Shut up!" said Geoffrey. "And come and help me to win your money." He
kicked open the door of the cottage--and athlete and trainer disappeared
from view.

After waiting a few minutes by the little flag, Mrs. Glenarm saw the
two men approaching her from the cottage. Dressed in a close-fitting
costume, light and elastic, adapting itself to every movement, and made
to answer every purpose required by the exercise in which he was abo
ut to engage, Geoffrey's physical advantages showed themselves in their
best and bravest aspect. His head sat proud and easy on his firm, white
throat, bared to the air. The rising of his mighty chest, as he drew in
deep draughts of the fragrant summer breeze; the play of his lithe and
supple loins; the easy, elastic stride of his straight and shapely
legs, presented a triumph of physical manhood in its highest type. Mrs.
Glenarm's eyes devoured him in silent admiration. He looked like a
young god of mythology--like a statue animated with color and life. "Oh,
Geoffrey!" she exclaimed, softly, as he went by. He neither answered,
nor looked: he had other business on hand than listening to soft
nonsense. He was gathering himself up for the effort; his lips were set;
his fists were lightly clenched. Perry posted himself at his place, grim
and silent, with the watch in his hand. Geoffrey walked on beyond the
flag, so as to give himself start enough to reach his full speed as he
passed it. "Now then!" said Perry. In an instant more, he flew by (to
Mrs. Glenarm's excited imagination) like an arrow from a bow. His action
was perfect. His speed, at its utmost rate of exertion, preserved its
rare underlying elements of strength and steadiness. Less and less and
less he grew to the eyes that followed his course; still lightly flying
over the ground, still firmly keeping the straight line. A moment
more, and the runner vanished behind the wall of the cottage, and the
stop-watch of the trainer returned to its place in his pocket.

In her eagerness to know the result, Mrs. Glenarm forget her jealousy of
Perry.

"How long has he been?" she asked.

"There's a good many besides you would be glad to know that," sai