He did not quite make his peace though, and the visit did not seem likely to be a very happy one. After some time he began to talk about the races. Polly had worked the purse in which the stakes for “the ladies’ prize” were to be given to the winner, and this was the secret of his being so anxious to gain it.
“You will be glad to hear your favourite, Lone Star, is very fit—I am going to gain that smart purse this year again, I hope,” he said after some time.
“Are you sure you’ll win? I don’t think you will. Do you know, I shall make my bets the other way.”
“Surely you’re not going to bet against Lone Star?” Warton said, remembering how pleased she was at his success the year before and feeling a good deal hurt at her words.
“Sir Harry Ferriard tells me he is sure to win—he rides for Mr Lascelles, who has entered Induna.”
“What! has that little—I mean has Lazarus entered Induna for the Ladies’ Purse? why he told me he was not entering him for anything but the two big races. It’s a shame, and a low trick of his,” Warton said, remembering with anything but pleasure the bets he had just made.
“Sir Harry persuaded him to do it because he wanted a mount in the race. I thought it very nice of him, considering he has won so many races in England, to wish to win our Purse here.”
“Yes, and a speech he made about it too,” struck in Mrs Short, smiling encouragingly at her daughter; “he said that he had never coveted any prize so much as the purse our Polly had worked, and that he had made Mr Lascelles promise that if he won he was to keep it. Ah! after all it’s only the real titled classes that can pay compliments with grace, as well I remember was the case in dear Uncle Sir Peter’s time!”
“Well, after that I can hardly hope that you can wish me success, though I think you might have kept some kindly feeling for old Lone Star,” Warton said as he got up to go.
“Well, you see, you don’t ride yourself, and Mr Marshall rides for you, and he never speaks to a lady if he can help it, so you must allow me to wish Sir Harry to win,” Polly said, as she shook hands with him.