England -- Social life and customs -- 20th century -- Fiction; Social classes -- England -- Fiction
"My God! you rascal," he was saying, "I've just found out all about you.
I've been fooled by you and that scoundrel of a trainer you recommended.
I've been ... That trial.... I've seen.... I've understood ... you
blackguard!" Without noticing Dorothy he had forced Houston across a
chair and was thumping him with the crop. "Yes, I've heard all about
you.... Of course people tell me afterward ... damned cowards.... You
damned sneaking hound ... I.D.B.... hound.., you dog ... and there's
nothing to be done because you were too clever ... curse you ... but
I'll have you booted off every racecourse in England...."
By this time he had beaten Houston insensible, and, looking up,
perceived his wife.
"Tony," she cried, "you really are rather an old darling."
"What are you doing here?" he panted.
"I was pleading for Clare."
"You oughtn't to have done that," he said, roughly. "You might get
yourself talked about, don't you know. Come along. It's rather lucky I
blew in. I met old Cobbett, who talked to me like a father. Too late, of
course, and nothing can be done. Besides.... However, come along. As
you're dressed we might see the last act."
"We've seen that already," said Dorothy. So brilliant and gay was she
that Tony forgot about everything. So did she, and they walked home arm
in arm along the deserted streets of Mayfair like lovers.
The scene in Albany was not made public property; Houston came to
himself in time to prevent that. Dorothy accepted Tony's interruption as
a sign that fortune did not intend her to preserve Clare, and she now
watched almost with equanimity the fabric of a great family crumble
daily to irreparable ruin. Then Full Moon, the winner of the Guineas,
scratched ignominiously for the Derby, won the Grand Prix in a canter,
and the following letter from the Earl of Stilton, K.G., appeared in the
_Times_:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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