She snatched her eyes away.
"Well, I congratulate you," he said at last, quietly.
She sought for irony in his voice and eyes, and detected none.
"What on?"
"Your victory."
Her face softened.
"Thank you."
"You deserved to win," continued the other, with genuine admiration. "You rode a great race. I couldn't have believed a girl could have got the course if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes." His gaze met hers quite honestly. "You see I didn't count on the double fake. I knew you were going to ride as Albert, but I'd quite forgotten the corollary—that Albert might dress as you. That's where you beat me."
The girl's chest was rising and falling.
"Mr. Joses," she said, "I didn't ride the horse."