"No, no, I only wanted to know if you'd heard anything new."
XXXVIII
During the next fortnight Sarah came several times to the "King's Head." She came in about nine in the evening, and stayed for half-an-hour or more. The ostensible object of her visit was to see Esther, but she declined to come into the private bar, where they would have chatted comfortably, and remained in the public bar listening to the men's conversation, listening and nodding while old John explained the horse's staying power to her. On the following evening all her interest was in Ketley. She wanted to know if anything had happened that might be considered as an omen. She said she had dreamed about the race, but her dream was only a lot of foolish rubbish without head or tail. Ketley argued earnestly against this view of a serious subject, and in the hope of convincing her of her error offered to walk as far as Oxford Street with her and put her into her 'bus. But on the following evening all her interest was centered in Mr. Journeyman, who declared that he could prove that according to the weight it seemed to him to look more and more like a certainty. He had let the horse in at six stone ten pounds, the official handicapper had only given him six stone seven pounds.
"They is a-sending of him along this week, and if the leg don't go it is a hundred pound to a brass farthing on the old horse."
"How many times will they gallop him?" Sarah asked.
"He goes a mile and a 'arf every day now…. The day after to-morrow they'll try him, just to see that he hasn't lost his turn of speed, and if he don't break down in the trial you can take it from me that it will be all right."
"When will you know the result of the trial?"
"I expect a letter on Friday morning," said Stack. "If you come in in the evening I'll let you know about it."
"Thank you very much, Mr. Stack. I must be getting home now."
"I'm going your way, Miss Tucker…. If you like, we'll go together, and
I'll tell you," he whispered, "all about the 'orse."