Notwithstanding the gravity of such a topic, Miss Douglas laughed outright.
"How like you, Daisy, to run away with an idea. It does not make her as good as The Lamb, because you once told me yourself that Robber-Chief never runs kindly in a trial. You see I don't forget things. But all the same, I daresay she's as good again, the darling, and I'm sure she's twice as good-looking!"
"Now, don't you see, Miss Douglas?" proceeded Daisy, "I've been thinking you and I might do a good stroke of business if we stood in together. My idea is this. I enter her at Punchestown for the Great United Service Handicap. I send her down to be trained on the quiet at a place I know of, not fifteen miles from where we're standing now. Nobody can guess how she's bred, nor what she is. They mean to put crushing weights on all the public runners. She'll be very well in, I should say, at about eleven stone ten. I'll ride her myself, for I know the course, and I'm used to that country. If we win, you must have half the stakes, and you can back her, besides, for as much as you please. What do you say to it?"
"I like the idea immensely!" answered Miss Douglas. "Only I don't quite understand about the weights and that— But, Daisy, are you sure it isn't dangerous? I mean for you. I've heard of such horrible accidents at those Irish steeple-chases."
"I tell you she can't fall," answered this sanguine young sportsman; "and I hope I'm not likely to tumble off her!"
Miss Douglas hesitated. "Couldn't I—" she said shyly; "couldn't I ride her in her gallops myself?"
He laughed; but his face clouded over the next moment.
"I ought not to have asked you," said he; "it seems so selfish to take away your favourite; but the truth is, Miss Douglas, I'm so awfully hard up that, unless I can land a good stake, it's all U—P with me!"
"Why didn't you tell me?" exclaimed Miss Douglas; "Why didn't you—" Here she checked herself, and continued in rather a hard voice, "Of course, if you're in a fix, it must be got out of, with as little delay as possible. So take the mare, by all means; and another time, Daisy— Well, another time don't be so shy of asking your friend's advice. If I'd been your brother-officer, for instance, should I have seemed such a bad person to consult?"