This etext was produced by Pat Castevans <patcat@ctnet.net>
and David Widger <widger@cecomet.net>
By George Meredith
Those two in the open carriage, one of whom had called out Sedgett'sname, were Robert and Major Waring. When the cab had flown by, they fellback into their seats, and smoked; the original stipulation for the dayhaving been that no harassing matter should be spoken of till nightfall.
True to this, Robert tried to think hard on the scene of his recentenjoyment. Horses were to him what music is to a poet, and the glory ofthe Races he had witnessed was still quick in heart, and partlycounteracted his astonishment at the sight of his old village enemy incompany with Algernon Blancove.
It was not astonishing at all to him that they should have quarrelled andcome to blows; for he knew Sedgett well, and the imperative necessity forfighting him, if only to preserve a man's self-respect and the fairdivision of peace, when once he had been allowed to get upon termssufficiently 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 afellow? He decided that it meant something, and something ominous—butwhat? Whom could it affect? Was Algernon Blancove such a poor creaturethat, feeling himself bound by certain dark dealings with Sedgett to keephim quiet, he permitted the bullying dog to hang to his coat-tail? Itseemed improbable that any young gentleman should be so weak, but itmight be the case; and "if so," thought Robert, "and I let him know Ibear him no ill-will for setting Sedgett upon me, I may be doing him aservice."
He remembered with pain Algernon's glance of savage humiliation upward,just before he turned to follow Sedgett into the cab; and considered thathe ought in kindness to see him and make him comfortable by apologizing,as if he himself had no complaint to make.
He resolved to do it when the opportunity should come. Meantime, what onearth brought them together?
"How white the hedges are!" he said.
"There's a good deal of dust," Major Waring replied.
"I wasn't aware that cabs came to the races."
"They do, you see."
Robert perceived that Percy meant to fool him if he attempted a breach ofthe bond; but he longed so much for Percy's opinion of the strangealliance between Sedgett and Algernon Blancove, that at any cost he wascompelled to say, "I can't get to the bottom of that."
"That squabble in the road?" said Percy. "We shall see two or three morebefore we reach home."
"No. What's the meaning of a gentleman consorting with a blackguard?"
Robert persisted.
"One or the other has discovered an assimilation, I suppose," Percy gaveanswer. "That's an odd remark on returning from Epsom. Those who jumpinto the same pond generally come out the same colour."
Robert spoke low.
"Has it anything to do with the poor girl, do you think?"
"I told you I declined to think till we were home again. Confound it,man, have you no idea of a holiday?"
...