"I say, Fred, I've backed 'Tearaway,' would you have me hedge off?"
"What has become of you; you have missed such a spread at the Mayor's, and such speeches as would have driven Murray to suicide."
"A hundred to five you don't name the winner."
"Ha! Egerton, just come back?"
"Keep cool, my dear fellows, and give me some claret."
I sat down, endeavouring in vain to enter clearly into the several subjects they were so eagerly discussing, and perfectly bewildered by the strong contrast the whole scene presented to my life for the last few days. Then followed long weary debates on the coming event, interspersed with anecdotes of the villainy of certain trainers and the intense knowingness of the jockies. Finally, I began to take some interest in the details; the result partly of habit, and partly of an effort to do so, lest any appearance of pre-occupation might set my brother officers on the scent to discover its course. I was successful—for Sedley exclaimed, "I never saw Egerton return from one of his philosophic expeditions with his wits so much about him."
"By the way, you've been over to that tumble down old place A——; is it worth seeing?" said another.
"Yes, to a lover of the picturesque and antique, but it has nothing else to attract."
"Ah! that will do; I do not care for the picturesque."