wanting to bet on the horse with you. I
was only saying that I've a kind of inward conviction that he will
win."

"My dear Frank," said the other, "if men selling horses could also sell
their inward convictions with them, what a lot of articles of that
description there would be in the market! But what were you going to
say you'd do?"

"I'll tell you what I'll do: I'll agree to your terms providing you'll
pay half the expenses of the horses since the last race each of them
ran. You must see that would be only fair, supposing the horses
belonged to you, equally with me, ever since that time."

"It would be quite fair, no doubt, if I agreed to it: it would be quite
fair also if I agreed to give you five hundred pounds; but I will do
neither one nor the other."

"But look here, Dot--Brien ran for the Autumn Produce Stakes last
October, and won them: since then he has done nothing to reimburse me
for his expense, nor yet has anything been taken out of him by running.
Surely, if you are to have half the profits, you should at any rate pay
half the expenses?"

"That's very well put, Frank; and if you and I stood upon equal ground,
with an arbiter between us by whose decision we were bound to abide,
and to whom the settlement of the question was entrusted, your
arguments would, no doubt, be successful, but--"

"Well that's the fair way of looking at it."

"But, as I was going to say, that's not the case. We are neither of
us bound to take any one's decision; and, therefore, any terms which
either of us chooses to accept must be fair. Now I have told you my
terms--the lowest price, if you like to call it so,--at which I will
give your horses the benefit of my experience, and save you from their
immediate pecuniary pressure; and I will neither take any other terms,
nor will I press these on you."

"Why, Blake, I'd sooner deal with all the Jews of Israel--"

"Stop, Frank: one word of abuse, and I'll wash my hands of the matter
altogether."

"Wash away then, I'll keep the horses, though I have to sell my hunters
and the plate at Kelly's Court into the bargain."

"I was going to add--only your energy's far too great to allow of a
slow steady man like me finishing his sentence--I was going to say
that, if you're pressed for money as you say, and if it will be any
accommodation, I will let you have two hundred and fifty pounds at five
per cent. on the security of the horses; that is, that you will be
charged with that