“You’d better save your money, boys,” said Peter. “Not that you’ll spend it in charity, but you’ll want it all to pay what you’ll lose on the race Belden is getting up.” “There he comes now with Mrs. Budlong,” said Gyas Cutus. “By Golly, isn’t she a stunner! Belden looks deuced hard to-night.” “You’ll find him hard enough--hard as one of Millard’s eggs. I recommend you both to keep away from him and his horse,” said Peter. Here the music struck up a galop and the two flexible youths, pocketing their moist _batistes_, tore wildly into the affray. Mr. Belden dashed by with Mrs. Budlong in his arms. He had found her tête-à-tête with De Châteaunéant. Their whispered conversation closed as Belden approached, and bowed his request for a dance. “Hot nubbless” looked after her wickedly as she moved away. Sir Comeguys, passing with Granby, looked into the parlour. Sir Com saw the Frenchman standing there with his vicious look and his clenched fist. “Gwanby,” said the bold and battailous Briton, “I can’t be wong--that is the scoundwel that helped to wob me in Pawis. He called himself Lavallette then, or some such name.” CHAPTER XVIII THE BRAVE PREPARE FOR A RACE, THE FAIR FOR A PICNIC Next morning after Millard’s hop, several of our acquaintance met on the piazza. “What happened at the subscription party last night?” asked Peter Skerrett of Gyas, who looked blue and slumbrous as a night policeman. “They didn’t do a very heavy business,” responded Guy. “Lob Lolly subscribed three hundred. Hobble de Hoy collected two-fifty. Belden lost like leaking. De Châteaunéant was collecting pretty well, till Sir Com Ambient came in and sat down opposite; then he seemed to get flustrated, subscribed once or twice, and went away.” “What an astonishing feller that Belden is!” said Cloanthus. “There he comes in on Knockknees, and we’ve only just grubbed.” Belden gave his horse to Figgins and lounged up the steps. He affected a dignified indifference with the younger men generally, but this morning he was quite gracious. They were discussing the preliminaries of the race. They had talked of a steeple-chase, but the riders did not come forward very freely, and they had determined to have a formal race; mile heats on the second beach, best two in three, free to all ages, no handicap--in short, a kind of scrub race.