“HowhashegotonsinceIwasatFulham？“askedMr。Speedwell。
“First-rate，Sir!Itwasoneofhisbaddayswhenyousawhim。Hehasdonewondersinthelasteight-and-fortyhours。“
“Ishegoingtowintherace？“
PrivatelythedoctorhaddonewhatPerryhaddonebeforehim——hehadbackedGeoffrey’santagonist。Publiclyhewastruetohiscolors。HecastadisparaginglookatFleetwood——andansweredYes，withouttheslightesthesitation。
Atthatpoint，theconversationwassuspendedbyasuddenmovementintheinclosure。Therunnerswereontheirwaytothestarting-place。Themomentoftheracehadcome。
Shouldertoshoulder，thetwomenwaited——eachwithhisfoottouchingthemark。Thefiringofapistolgavethesignalforthestart。Attheinstantwhenthereportsoundedtheywereoff。
Fleetwoodatoncetookthelead，Delamaynfollowing，atfromtwotothreeyardsbehindhim。Inthatordertheyranthefirstround。thesecond，andthethird——bothreservingtheirstrength；
bothwatchedwithbreathlessinterestbyeverysoulintheplace。
Thetrainers，withtheircansintheirhands，ranbackwardandforwardoverthegrass，meetingtheirmenatcertainpoints，andeyingthemnarrowly，insilence。Theofficialpersonsstoodtogetherinagroup；theireyesfollowingtherunnersroundandroundwiththeclosestattention。Thetrainer’sdoctor，stillattachedtohisillustriouscolleague，offeredthenecessaryexplanationstoMr。Speedwellandhisfriend。
“Nothingmuchtoseeforthefirstmile，Sir，exceptthe’style’
ofthetwomen。“
“Youmeantheyarenotreallyexertingthemselvesyet？“
“No。Gettingtheirwind，andfeelingtheirlegs。Prettyrunner，Fleetwood——ifyounoticeSir？Getshislegsatriflebetterinfront，andhardlyliftshisheelsquitesohighasourman。Hisaction’sthebestofthetwo；Igrantthat。Butjustlook，astheycomeby，whichkeepsthestraightestline。There’swhereDelamaynhashim!It’sasteadier，stronger，truerpace；andyou’llseeittellwhenthey’rehalf-waythrough。“So，forthefirstthreerounds，thedoctorexpatiatedonthetwocontrasted“styles“——intermsmercifullyadaptedtothecomprehensionofpersonsunacquaintedwiththelanguageoftherunningring。
Atthefourthround——inotherwords，attheroundwhichcompletedthefirstmile，thefirstchangeintherelativepositionoftherunnersoccurred。Delamaynsuddenlydashedtothefront。
Fleetwoodsmiledastheotherpassedhim。Delamaynheldtheleadtilltheywerehalfwaythroughthefifthround——whenFleetwood，atahintfromhistrainer，forcedthepace。HelightlypassedDelamayninaninstant；andledagaintothecompletionofthesixthround。
Attheopeningoftheseventh，Delamaynforcedthepaceonhisside。Forafewmoments，theyranexactlyabreast。ThenDelamayndrewawayinchbyinch；andrecoveredthelead。Thefirstburstofapplauseledbythesouthrangout，asthebigmanbeatFleetwoodathisowntactics，andheadedhimatthecriticalmomentwhentheracewasnearlyhalfrun。
“ItbeginstolookasifDelamayn_was_goingtowin!“saidSirPatrick。
Thetrainer’sdoctorforgothimself。Infectedbytherisingexcitementofeverybodyabouthim，heletoutthetruth。
“Waitabit!“hesaid。“Fleetwoodhasgotdirectionstolethimpass——Fleetwoodiswaitingtoseewhathecando。“
“Cunning，yousee，SirPatrick，isoneoftheelementsinamanlysport，“saidMr。Speedwell，quietly。
Attheendoftheseventhround，Fleetwoodprovedthedoctortoberight。HeshotpastDelamaynlikeanarrowfromabow。Attheendoftheeightround，hewasleadingbytwoyards。Halftheracehadthenbeenrun。Time，tenminutesandthirty-threeseconds。
Towardtheendoftheninthround，thepaceslackenedalittle；
andDelamaynwasinfrontagain。Hekeptahead，untiltheopeningoftheeleventhround。Atthatpoint，Fleetwoodflunguponehandintheairwithagestureoftriumph；andboundedpastDelamaynwithashoutof“HoorayfortheNorth!“Theshoutwasechoedbythespectators。Inproportionastheexertionbegantotelluponthemen，sotheexcitementsteadilyroseamongthepeoplelookingatthem。
Atthetwelfthround，Fleetwoodwasleadingbysixyards。Criesoftriumphroseamongtheadherentsofthenorth，metbycounter-criesofdefiancefromthesouth。AtthenextturnDelamaynresolutelylessenedthedistancebetweenhisantagonistandhimself。Attheopeningofthefourteenthround，theywerecomingsidebyside。Afewyardsmore，andDelamaynwasinfrontagain，amidstaroarofapplausefromthewholepublicvoice。Yetafewyardsfurther，andFleetwoodnearedhim，passedhim，droppedbehindagain，ledagain，andwaspassedagainattheendoftheround。Theexcitementrosetoitshighestpitch，astherunners——gaspingforbreath；withdarkflushedfaces，andheavingbreasts——alternatelypassedandrepassedeachother。Oathswereheardnowaswellascheers。Womenturnedpaleandmensettheirteeth，asthelastroundbutonebegan。
Attheopeningofit，Delamaynwasstillinadvance。Beforesixyardsmorehadbeencovered，Fleetwoodbetrayedthepurposeofhisrunninginthepreviousround，andelectrifiedthewholeassembly，bydashingpasthisantagonist——forthefirsttimeintheraceatthetopofhisspeed。Everybodypresentcouldsee，now，thatDelamaynhadbeenallowedtoleadonsufferance——hadbeendextrouslydrawnontoputouthiswholepower——andhadthen，andnottillthen，beenseriouslydeprivedofthelead。Hemadeanothereffort，withadesperateresolutionthatrousedthepublicenthusiasmtofrenzy。Whilethevoiceswereroaring；whilethehatsandhandkerchiefswerewavingroundthecourse；whiletheactualeventoftheracewas，foronesuprememoment，stillindoubt——Mr。SpeedwellcaughtSirPatrickbythearm。
“Prepareyourself!“hewhispered。“It’sallover。“
Asthewordspassedhislips，Delamaynswervedonthepath。Histrainerdashedwateroverhim。Herallied，andrananothersteportwo——swervedagain——staggered——liftedhisarmtohismouthwithahoarsecryofrage——fastenedhisownteethinhisfleshlikeawildbeast——andfellsenselessonthecourse。
ABabelofsoundsarose。Thecriesofalarminsomeplaces，minglingwiththeshoutsoftriumphfromthebackersofFleetwoodinothers——astheirmanranlightlyontowinthenowuncontestedrace。Nottheinclosureonly，butthecourseitselfwasinvadedbythecrowd。Inthemidstofthetumultthefallenmanwasdrawnontothegrass——withMr。Speedwellandthetrainer’sdoctorinattendanceonhim。Attheterriblemomentwhenthesurgeonlaidhishandontheheart，Fleetwoodpassedthespot——apassagebeingforcedforhimthroughthepeoplebyhisfriendsandthepolice——runningthesixteenthandlastroundoftherace。
Hadthebeatenmanfaintedunderit，orhadhediedunderit？
Everybodywaited，withtheireyesrivetedonthesurgeon’shand。
Thesurgeonlookedupfromhim，andcalledforwatertothrowoverhisface，forbrandytoputintohismouth。Hewascomingtolifeagain——hehadsurvivedtherace。ThelastshoutofapplausewhichhailedFleetwood’svictoryrangoutastheyliftedhimfromthegroundtocarryhimtothepavilion。SirPatrickadmittedatMr。Speedwell’srequestwastheonestrangerallowedtopassthedoor。Atthemomentwhenhewasascendingthesteps，someonetouchedhisarm。ItwasCaptainNewenden。
“Dothedoctorsanswerforhislife？“askedthecaptain。“Ican’tgetmyniecetoleavethegroundtillsheissatisfiedofthat。“
Mr。Speedwellheardthequestionandrepliedtoitbrieflyfromthetopofthepavilionsteps。
“Forthepresent——yes，“hesaid。
Thecaptainthankedhim，anddisappeared。
Theyenteredthepavilion。ThenecessaryrestorativemeasuresweretakenunderMr。Speedwell’sdirections。Theretheconqueredathletelay：outwardlyaninertmassofstrength，formidabletolookat，eveninitsfall；inwardly，aweakercreature，inallthatconstitutesvitalforce，thantheflythatbuzzedonthewindow-pane。Byslowdegreestheflutteringlifecameback。Thesunwassetting；andtheeveninglightwasbeginningtofail。Mr。
SpeedwellbeckonedtoPerrytofollowhimintoanunoccupiedcorneroftheroom。
“Inhalfanhourorlesshewillbewellenoughtobetakenhome。
Wherearehisfriends？Hehasabrother——hasn’the？“
“Hisbrother’sinScotland，Sir。“
“Hisfather？“
Perryscratchedhishead。“FromallIhear，Sir，heandhisfatherdon’tagree。“
Mr。SpeedwellappliedtoSirPatrick。
“Doyouknowanythingofhisfamilyaffairs？“
“Verylittle。Ibelievewhatthemanhastoldyoutobethetruth。“
“Ishismotherliving？“
“Yes。“
“Iwillwritetohermyself。Inthemeantime，somebodymusttakehimhome。Hehasplentyoffriendshere。Wherearethey？“
Helookedoutofthewindowashespoke。Athrongofpeoplehadgatheredroundthepavilion，waitingtohearthelatestnews。Mr。
SpeedwelldirectedPerrytogooutandsearchamongthemforanyfriendsofhisemployerwhomhemightknowbysight。Perryhesitated，andscratchedhisheadforthesecondtime。
“Whatareyouwaitingfor？“askedthesurgeon，sharply。“Youknowhisfriendsbysight，don’tyou？“
“Idon’tthinkIshallfindthemoutside，“saidPerry。
“Whynot？“
“Theybackedhimheavily，Sir——andtheyhavealllost。“