They cared little for the "crushers" they incurred, but their champion's failure, when he was in the face of Europe, cut them more terribly.

The fame of the English riding-men had been trusted to Forest King and his owner, and they, who had never before betrayed the trust placed in them, had broken down like any screw out of a livery stable; like any jockey bribed to "pull" at a suburban selling-race.

It was fearfully bitter work; and, unanimous to a voice, the indignant murmur of "doctored" ran through the titled, fashionable crowds on the Baden course in deep and ominous anger.
The Seraph's grand wrath poured out fulminations against the wicked-doer whosoever he was, or wheresoever he lurked; and threatened, with a vengeance that would be no empty words, the direst chastisement of the "Club," of which both his father and himself were stewards, upon the unknown criminal.

The Austrian and French nobles, while winners by the event, were scarce in less angered excitement.

It seemed to cast the foulest slur upon their honor that, upon foreign ground, the renowned English steeple-chaser should have been tampered with thus; and the fair ladies of either world added the influence of their silver tongues, and were eloquent in the vivacity of their sympathy and resentment with a unanimity women rarely show in savoring defeat, but usually reserve for the fairer opportunity of swaying the censer before success.
Cecil alone, amid it all, was very quiet; he said scarcely a word, nor could the sharpest watcher have detected an alteration in his countenance.