That nuisance, thank goodness, is abated. A
steeple-chaser now generally stands on his own merits; a change for which
sportsmen may be thankful.
But to our story.
The whole country was in a commotion about this 'Aristocratic'. The
unsophisticated looked upon it as a grand _reunion_ of the aristocracy; and
smart bonnets and cloaks, and jackets and parasols were ordered with the
liberality incident to a distant view of Christmas. As Viney sipped his
sherry-cobler of an evening, he laughed at the idea of a
son-of-a-day-labourer like himself raising such a dust. Letters came
pouring in to the clerk of the course from all quarters; some asking about
beds; some about breakfasts; some about stakes; some about stables; some
about this thing, some about that. Every room in the Old Duke of Cumberland
was speedily bespoke. Post-horses rose in price, and Dobbin and Smiler, and
Jumper and Cappy, and Jessy and Tumbler were jobbed from the neighbouring
farmers, and converted for the occasion into posters. At last came the
great and important day--day big with the fate of thousands of pounds; for
the betting-list vermin had been plying their trade briskly throughout the
kingdom, and all sorts of rumours had been raised relative to the qualities
and conditions of the horses.
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