Bravo, Nana! What a ripper she is! Bah, it doesn't matter a bit: she's making the running for Lusignan!" For some seconds this was everybody's opinion.

But little by little the filly kept gaining and gaining, spurting hard all the while.

Thereupon a vast wave of feeling passed over the crowd, and the tail of horses in the rear ceased to interest.

A supreme struggle was beginning between Spirit, Nana, Lusignan and Valerio II.

They were pointed out; people estimated what ground they had gained or lost in disconnected, gasping phrases.