nd the cab-horse to
start and antic.

Greatly to the amazement of the spectators, the manifest gentleman (by
comparison) who had recently been at a pummelling match with him, and
bore the stains of it, hung his head, stepped on the cab, and suffered
himself to be driven away.

"Sort of a 'man-and-wife' quarrel," was the donkey's man's comment.
"There's something as corks 'em up, and something uncorks 'em; but what
that something is, I ain't, nor you ain't, man enough to inform the
company."

He rubbed his little donkey's nose affectionately.

"Any gentleman open to a bet I don't overtake that ere Hansom within
three miles o' Ewell?" he asked, as he took the rein.

But his little donkey's quality was famous in the neighbourhood.

"Come on, then," he said; "and show what you can do, without emilation,
Master Tom."

Away the little donkey trotted.

CHAPTER XXX

Those two in the open carriage, one of whom had called out Sedgett's
name, were Robert and Major Waring. When the cab had flown by, they fell
back into their seats, and smoked; the original stipulation for the day
having been that no harassing matter should be spoken of till nightfall.

True to this, Robert tried to think hard on the scene of his recent
enjoyment. Horses were to him what music is to a poet, and the glory
of the Races he had witnessed was still quick in heart, and partly
counteracted his astonishment at the sight of his old village enemy in
company with Algernon Blancove.

It was not astonishing at all to him that they should have quarrelled
and come to blows; for he knew Sedgett well, and the imperative
necessity for fighting him, if only to preserve a man's self-respect and
the fair division of peace, when once he had been allowed to get upon
terms sufficiently close to assert his black nature; but how had it come
about? How was it that a gentleman could consent to appear publicly
with such a fellow? He decided that it meant something, and something
ominous--but what? Whom could it affect? Was Algernon Blancove such a
poor creature that, feeling himself bound by certain dark dealings with
Sedgett to keep him quiet, he permitted the bullying dog to hang to his
coat-tail? It seemed improbable that any young gentleman should be so
weak, but it might be the case; and "if so," thought Robert, "and I let
him know I bear him no ill-will for setting Sedgett upon me, I may be
doing him a service."

He remembered with pain Algernon's gl