He
wanted to bicycle there, but I am sending him in the
motor.''
``How very kind of you! Of course we don't mind dinner
being put off.'' The assurances came with unanimous and
hearty sincerity.
At the dinner-table that night an undercurrent of furtive
curiosity directed itself towards Motkin's impassive
countenance. One or two of the guests almost expected to
find a slip of paper concealed in their napkins, bearing the
name of the second cousin's selection. They had not long to
wait. As the butler went round with the murmured question,
``Sherry?'' he added in an even lower tone the cryptic
words, ``Better not.'' Mrs. Packletide gave a start of
alarm, and refused the sherry; there seemed some sinister
suggestion in the butler's warning, as though her hostess
had suddenly become addicted to the Borgia habit. A moment
later the explanation flashed on her that ``Better Not'' was
the name of one of the runners in the big race. Clovis was
already pencilling it on his cuff, and Colonel Drake, in his
turn, was signalling to every one in hoarse whispers and
dumb-show the fact that he had all along fancied ``B.
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