48 THE ADVENTURES OF A GENTLEMAN 



degree removed. I have been accustomed to fre- 

 quent them all, and in all I observe the same faces, 

 hear the same coarse jokes, and very frequently 

 recognize the same horses brought to sale half a 

 dozen times in a season. The reason is obvious : 

 these places form the market of the trade, and like 

 all other markets, are frequented by the lowest class 

 both of dealers and customers. The proprietors 

 cannot help it if they would ; but their interest lies 

 the other way. The commission is the same on a 

 good or a bad horse ; but as nine out of ten fall 

 under the latter description, the profit is essentially 

 derived from their sale. Hackney-coach owners, 

 jobbers, hucksters, travellers, butchers, bakers, and 

 all the tradesmen who require light carts for the 

 conveyance of their goods, frequent these places : 

 and to meet the demand of such customers, all the 

 refuse of the field, after the hunting season is over, 

 and all the disabled cattle of the summer stages to 

 Brighton, Southampton, and so forth, when these 

 places are deserted, are here sent to the hammer. 

 Many a horse will do very well for harness that is 

 unsafe for the saddle ; and in fact very few, even of 

 the most showy and "splendid" horses, are broken 



