He saw the five sovereigns as surely in his possession as he saw the sculls in his hands.

There was no trouble with the start this time, and they were off at once.
Lord Hartledon took the lead.

He was spurring his strength to the uttermost: perhaps out of bravado; that he might show them nothing was the matter with his arm.

But Mr.Carteret gained on him; and as they turned the point and went out of sight, the young man's boat was the foremost.
The race had been kept--as the sporting men amongst them styled it--dark.
Not an inkling of it had been suffered to get abroad, or, as Lord Hartledon had observed, they should have the banks swarming.

The consequence was, that not more than half-a-dozen curious idlers had assembled: those were on the opposite side, and had now gone down with the boats to Calne.