“On this information the favourite receded 33 to 1,” remarked Captain Spicer. “I think you may as well chuck it, my dear.”
“I should like to beat them both!” said his wife, flinging a pebble into the rising tide that was very softly mouthing the seaweedy rocks below them.
“Well, here’s Rupert; you can begin on him.”
“Nothing would give me greater pleasure!” said Rupert’s sister vindictively. “A great teasing, squabbling baby! Oh, how I hate fools! and they are both fools!—Oh, there you are, Rupert,” a well-simulated blandness invading her voice; “and what’s Fanny Fitz doing?”
“She’s trying to do a Mayo man over a horse-deal,” replied Mr. Rupert Gunning.
“A horse-deal!” repeated Mrs. Spicer incredulously. “Fanny buying a horse! Oh, impossible!”
“Well, I don’t know about that,” said Mr. Gunning, “she’s trying pretty hard. I gave her my opinion—”
“I’ll take my oath you did,” observed Captain Spicer.
“—And as she didn’t seem to want it, I came away,” continued Mr. Gunning imperturbably. “Be calm, Maudie; it takes two days and two nights to buy a horse in these parts; you’ll be home in plenty of time to interfere, and here’s the car. Don’t waste the morning.”