Shapleigh said I behaved like an old ruffian to the bishop, but, dang me, the bishop’s an ass!” “I believe you think everybody’s an ass except the good folks,” said Lewis. “I believe I do,” answered Bulstrode, taking another gigantic pinch of snuff. “But I told you there was a tragedy about those Campdown races, and so there is. Now, this is it. Skelton has made up his mind to ruin Blair. He needn’t trouble himself--Blair will do the work fast enough without anybody’s help. But our respected friend and benefactor means to have a hand in it. That’s the meaning of the money he is pouring out like water, and that’s why Blair is making such a fight. But that poor wife of his--Lewis, Lewis, if you win that match you’ll stab that gentle creature to the heart!” Lewis gazed at Bulstrode with wide-open eyes. He was naturally tender and reverent to women, and the idea of inflicting pain upon any one of them was hateful to him. All at once the pleasure in the race seemed to vanish. What pleasure could it be when he came galloping in ahead, if poor Mrs. Blair were ruined and wretched and broken-hearted? He stopped his acrobatic performances and sat quite still in the window, looking sadly into Bulstrode’s face. “Will it make Mrs. Blair _very_ unhappy if Jaybird wins?” he asked. “Unhappy! It will drive Blair to the wall absolutely. He has acted like a madman all through. He has borrowed every penny he could lay his hands on to put on that black horse of his. Blair is a study to me. He is the most practical man in making money and the most unpractical man in getting rid of it I ever saw. Why, he makes more actual profit out of that place, Newington, than Skelton does out of Deerchase. Old Tom Shapleigh says he is the best farmer, stock-raiser, manager of negroes in the State of Virginia. If he could be driven from the turf he would be a rich man in ten years. But he’s got that racing vampire fixed upon him. God help his wife and children!” This made Lewis very unhappy. He went about haunted with the feeling that he was Mrs. Blair’s enemy. He began to hate the idea of the race as much as he had once been captivated by it. This was not lost on Skelton. Before that, the two boys had showed much elation over their coming prominence at the race meeting. When they met they assumed great knowingness in discussing turf matters, which they only half understood, and put on mannish airs to each other. Instead of “Lewis” and “Hilary,” as it had once been, it became “Pryor” and “Blair.” But afterward Hilary was surprised to find a great want of enthusiasm in Lewis. He spoke of it to his father, and Blair at once fancied that Lewis had shown the white feather. He told it triumphantly to Elizabeth, and adduced it as another proof that he had a “sure thing.” Elizabeth, though, was not so confident. She had seen too many disappointments come of Blair’s “sure things.”