WHERE WAS 'DELILAH'? 295 



I have named his stud-groom, Sturgeon. This man 

 could neither read nor write, to which qualifications, or 

 the want of them, he was indebted for his situation. 

 Mr. Simpson himself kept the few books that were kept, 

 and no one but himself knew what was entered in them. 

 I don't for one moment suggest that anything improper 

 was done, but that Mr. Simpson should take upon 

 himself extra work of the kind that properly should have 

 fallen to the stud-groom is curious. Of one thing, how- 

 ever, there can be no doubt, and that is, that on the 

 night before his sale at Diss he knowingly falsified the 

 name of one of his mares. I was staying at his house 

 for the sale, and in the evening told him I had come to 

 buy Delilah and Amaranth. 



1 They are not here,' Mr. Simpson said in reply. ' But 

 they are close by, and you shall have them another time.' 



Thus the matter seemed at an end for the moment | 

 but next morning, on looking round the mares before the 

 sale, I came to a black mare, on which Sturgeon, who 

 accompanied me, promptly said : 



' I don't know how she's bred, but Mr. Simpson can 

 tell you. She's No. 44 on the catalogue.' 



On looking at the document I saw that No. 44 was ' a 

 black mare, pedigree unknown, covered by Delight.' I 

 looked at her again for an instant, and exclaimed : 



1 Why, it's Delilah !' 



1 Oh no, sir !' said Sturgeon. ' It's not her.' 



' I'm quite positive she is,' I said ; and after a little 

 fencing Sturgeon confessed. 



' I told Mr. Simpson, sir,' he said, ' that you would be 

 sure to know her.' 



At the sale I stood by the side of Mr. W. Blenkiron. 



' I have come to buy two mares,' said he, ' but I don't 

 see either of their names in the catalogue.' 



