242- THE ADVENTURES OF A GENTLEMAN, ETC. 



tilt against the stand, and then given up his bid- 

 dings, the jobber who would have bought her at 

 the next lowest bidding of nineteen guineas, would 

 have had half the price distributed among six or 

 eight of his brother ' dealers, when afterwards set- 

 tling the average of their respective purchases. 

 The impossibility of buying fairly, in the teeth of 

 such combination, is obvious ; nor would it much 

 mend the matter, to employ one of these men as 

 an agent : the chances are twenty to one that Ms 

 opinion of a good horse would be far less fastidious 

 than yours; and to secure his fee, he would assu- 

 redly recommend some one in the sale : were it 

 otherwise, he would run no better chance than a 

 stranger, if his object were discovered, and to conceal 

 it would be difficult. 



Whether at a horse sale, or any other, set it down 

 as a maxim, that an auctioneer cannot do otherwise 

 than lie : " 'Tis my vocation, Hal." 



