Not that he had
much fear of startling his wife and mother. It was more from the
Englishman's hatred of showing himself a hero, for Anne was
perfectly happy in the persecution he had brought on himself, for
she never had been so sure before that he was not of the world,
worldly.
The races were exceptionally brilliant, and fully attended, but the
triumph of the roughs had made them more outrageously disgraceful in
their conduct than ever; and when Miles went to the quarter-
sessions, rather doubting whether he should not find himself landed
in Coventry, not only did the calendar of offences speak for itself,
but sundry country gentlemen shook him by the hand, lamenting that
railways and rowdyism had entirely altered races from what they used
to be, that he was in the right, and what they had seen so recently
proved that the only thing to be done was to withdraw from what
respectable people could no longer keep within bounds. Such
withdrawal will not prevent them, but it will hinder the
demoralization from being so extensive as formerly, since no one of
much character to lose will attend them.
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