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           "Howisthehorsewoman?"Tarrouoftenasked;andGrandwouldinvariablyreplywithapainedsmile:"Trottingalong,trottingalong."OneeveningGrandsaidthathehadfinallyabandonedtheadjective"elegant"forhisrider;fromnowon,hewoulddescribeheras"slender",adding:"It’smoreconcrete."Anothertime,hereadhistwolistenersthefirstsentence,withthisalteration:"OnafineMaymorning,aslenderwomanwasridingamagnificentsorrelmarethroughthefloweredavenuesoftheBoisdeBoulogne."

           "Youcanseeherbetter,don’tyouthink?"Grandsaid."AndIpreferred"onaMaymorning"because"inthemonthofMay"drawsitouttoomuch."

           Afterthat,hebecameveryconcernedabouttheadjective"magnificent".Itwasnotevocativeenough,hesaid,sohewashuntingforthewordthatwouldcaptureinasinglesnapshotthesplendidanimalthathehadinmind."Plump"wasnotright:itwasconcrete,butsomewhatpejorative."Lustrous"hadtemptedhimforawhile,butthesoundwasnotright.Oneevening,heannouncedtriumphantlythathehadfoundit:"ablacksorrelmare".Blackness,hefelt,discreetlysuggestedelegance.

           "It’snotpossible,"Rieuxsaid.

           "Whynot?"

           "Becausesorrelisnotabreed,itdescribesacolour."

           "Whatcolour?"

           "Well,acolourthatisnotblackinanycase!"

           Grandseemedverytouched.

           "Thankyou,"hesaid."I’msogladyouwerethere.