tion trying to play the part of an
ordinary actor and not quite able to keep what he really was from
showing through the veneer of what he was trying to be."

The major, however, was too blunt to bottle up his sentiments at any
time, and being completely bowled over in the present instance put
them into bluff, outspoken, characteristic words.

"Oh, gum games!" he blurted out. "If you really are Cleek----"

"I really am. Mr. Narkom will stand sponsor for that."

"But, good lud, man! Oh, look here, you know, this is all tommyrot!
What under God's heaven has brought a chap like you down to this sort
of thing?"

"Opinions differ upon that score, Major," said Cleek quietly. "So far
from being 'brought down,' it is my good friend, Mr. Narkom here,
who has brought me _up_ to it--and made me his debtor for life."

"Debtor nothing! Don't talk rubbish. As if it were possible for a
gentleman not to recognize a gentleman!"

"It would not be so easy, I fear, if he were a good actor--and you
have just done me the compliment of indirectly telling me that I
must be one. It is very nice of you but--may we not let it go at
that? I fancy from what I hear that I, too, shall soon be in the
position to pay compliments, Major. I hear on every side that
Highland Lassie is sure to carry off the Derby--in fact that,
unless a miracle occurs, there'll be no horse 'in it' but her."

Here both the major and his wife grew visibly excited.

"Gad, sir!" exclaimed he, in a voice of deep despair. "I'm afraid
you will have to amend that statement so that it may read, 'unless
a miracle occurs there will be _every_ horse in it but her'--every
blessed one from Dawson-Blake's Tarantula, the second favourite, down
to the last 'also ran' of the lot."

"Good heavens! The filly hasn't 'gone wrong' suddenly, has she?"

"She's done more than 'gone wrong'--she's _gone altogether_! Some
beastly, low-lived cur of a horse thief broke into the stables the
night before last and stole her--stole her, sir, body and bones--and
there's not so much as a hoofprint to tell what became of her."

"Well, I'm blest!"

"Are you? B'gad, then, you're about the only one who knows about it
that is! For as if that wasn't bad enough, I've not only lost the
best filly in England but the best trainer as well: and the brute
that carried off the one got at the other at the same time, dash him!"

"What do you mean by 'got at' the trainer, Major? Did the man take
a bribe and 's