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"Sir," he began, "b'gad--!" here he paused to clear his throat

loudly once or twice--"a devil incarnate! Fourteen minutes and a half,

by my watch, and devil a spur! I'd have lent you ad! As it is, if you've any desire to shake

hands with a--ha!--with a fellow--huad!"

"Captain the Honorable Marham--Mr Beverley And now," said the Viscount, as

Barnabas shook hands, "now tell 'e, sirs," said Barnabas, rather diffidently, "that I

in the Steeplechase on the

fifteenth"

Hereupon the Captain struck his riding boot a resounding bloith

his whip, and whistled; while the Marquis dangled his eyeglass by

its riband, viewing it with eyes of lanced fromatical smile upon his lips

"That would rest with Carnaby to decide, of course," said the

Captain at last

"Why so?" inquired Barnabas

"Because--well, because he--is Carnaby, I suppose," the Captain

answered

"Though Jerningha-vote," added the Viscount

"True," said the Marquis, rearranging a fold of his cravat with a

self-conscious air, "but, as Sling says--Carnaby is--Carnaby"

"Sirs," began Barnabas, very earnestly, "believe me I would spare no

expense--"