“Will ye ’ave Knockknees, sir, hin the mornink harely? Ye can go hon the beach hat sevenk.”
“Bring him up at seven, then; the race must come off now in a few days. I’m ringing in these precious greenhorns. They’ll all run their damned cows, but they haven’t got enough to bleed much. I want to get that fellow in with his black horse. He’ll bleed gold. Can I beat him on the square, do you think?”
“Hi dunno, sir,” said Figgins, “’e’s a stepper, his that black. Hi never see such a ’oss for clean goin’. You mout beat, hand you moutn’t. But p’r’aps ’e’ll be summat sick,—a little sick, ’nough to take the edge hoff ’im hat the race.”
“Perhaps he will,” agreed Belden, instantly accepting the hint. “You might look at him once or twice and let me know whether it’s likely. You know where his stable is—can you get in?”
“There’s keys to be ’ad, I s’pose. Do you want ’im to show hat all?”
“Oh, yes, I hope he’ll be well enough to make good play. He might win a heat—then I can get more out of ’em. You understand? It will pay you devilish well if I win a jolly pile.”
“Hi see, sir,” said Figgins, and with a furtive look at the tin case, he went out.
Belden locked the case and put it away. The full luxurious sound of music from the hall swelled up again after a pause and filled the room. Some men are purified from baser wishes by the delicate sensualities of passionate music; but not such men as Belden.
“Ah, a galop!” he thought. “I must go down and have a stampede and hug with Mrs. Bud. Dear Betty Bud! I think I get on rather faster with her than with Miss Diana.”
He went to the glass to arrange his toilet for the deranging struggles of the hop. He did not perceive that the look of his three villainies of the evening was stamped upon his face—three, one remembered, two meditated. He thought it was the effect of age, the change he began to be conscious of in his appearance. But age, of those whose lives are worthy to endure, softens and tranquillises expression and harmonises colouring; it does not darken the shadows where they had grown dark on his face, nor give the unpeaceful and uneasy look he had.