course, inspirited Lady Aphrodite,
who was all anxiety, betted with Miss Dacre, and bowed to Mrs.
Dallington.

There were more than ninety horses, and yet the start was fair. But the
result? Pardon me! The fatal remembrance overpowers my pen. An effort
and some _Eau de Portingale_, and I shall recover. The first favourite
was never heard of, the second favourite was never seen after the
distance post, all the ten-to-oners were in the rear, and a _dark_
horse, which had never been thought of, and which the careless St. James
had never even observed in the list, rushed past the grand stand in
sweeping triumph. The spectators were almost too surprised to cheer; but
when the name of the winner was detected there was a deafening shout,
particularly from the Yorkshiremen. The victor was the Earl of St.
Jerome's b. f. May Dacre, by Howard.

Conceive the confusion! Sanspareil was at last discovered, and
immediately shipped off for Newmarket, as young gentlemen who get into
scrapes are sent to travel. The Dukes of Burlington and Shropshire
exchanged a few hundreds; the Duchess and Charles Annesley a few gloves.
The consummate Lord Bloomerly, though a backer of the favourite, in
compliment to his host, contrived to receive from all parties, and
particularly from St. Maurice. The sweet little Wrekins were absolutely
ruined. Sir Lucius looked blue, but he had hedged; and Lord Squib looked
yellow, but some doubted. Lord Hounslow was done, and Lord Bagshot was
diddled.

The Duke of St. James was perhaps the heaviest sufferer on the field,
and certainly bore his losses the best. Had he seen the five-and-twenty
thousand he was minus counted before him, he probably would have been
staggered; but as it was, another crumb of his half-million was gone.
The loss existed only in idea. It was really too trifling to think
of, and he galloped up to Miss Dacre, and was among the warmest of her
congratulators.

'I would offer your Grace my sympathy for your congratulations,' said
Miss Dacre, in a rather amiable tone; 'but' (and here she resumed her
air of mockery) 'you are too great a man to be affected by so light a
casualty. And, now that I recollect myself, did you run a horse?'

'Why, no; the fault was, I believe, that he would not run; but
Sanspareil is as great a hero as ever. He has only been conquered by the
elements.'

The dinner at the Duke of St. James's was this day more splendid even
than the preceding. He was determined to s