The Trangression of Andrew Vane A Novel Author:Guy Wetmore Carryl General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1904 Original Publisher: Henry Holt and Company Subjects: Fiction / General Fiction / Classics Fiction / Literary History / General Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you bu... more »y the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: CHAPTER III. THE GIRL IN RED. The saddling-bell was whirring for the third race as Andrew and Radwalader slipped in at the main entrance of Auteuil, and made their way rapidly through the throng behind the tribunes, in the direction of the betting-booths beyond. "We'll just have time to place our bets," said Radwalader, as he scanned the bulletins. " Numbers two, five, six, and eleven are out. Scratch them off your programme and we'll take our pick of the rest." "You'll have to advise me," answered Andrew. "One couldn't very well be more ignorant of the horses than I am." "I never give advice," said Radwalader, with an air of seriousness. "I used to, long ago. I went about vaccinating my friends, as it were, with counsel, but none of it ever took, or was taken -- whichever way you choose to put it -- so I gave it up. Besides, a French race-horse is like the girl one elects to marry. The choice is purely a matter of luck, and there's no depending upon the recordof previous performances. I've always thought that if / had to choose a wife, I'd prefer to do it in the course of a game of blind-man's buff. The one I caught I'd keep. Then the choice would at least be unprejudiced. Shut your eyes, my dear Vane, and stick your pencil-point through your programme. Then open them and bet on the horse nearest the puncture." And he went through this little performance himself with the utmost solemnity. "It's Vivandiere," he added. "I shall stake a louis on Vivandiere." "And I, for ...« less