HORSES. 269 



been able to picture to myself the intimacy between 

 horses and human beings in an Arab family. We 

 crawled over her, we seated ourselves upon her without 

 bridle or saddle, we clung to her neck when she had 

 no room for us on her back, and we sat upon her as 

 she herself lay in her stall. When she was ill we ad- 

 ministered the medicine, almost quarrelling as to who 

 should take the gruel to her; when she heard our 

 voices, whatever pain she was in, she saluted us with a 

 neigh. She was patient under every infliction, accom- 

 modated herself to every fancy, and with her prudence 

 and good temper was often instrumental to our safety. 

 Although she had been a hunter, and was a lady's 

 horse, she went well in harness, and used to run in a 

 curricle with all the fiery spirits whom my father chose 

 to drive ; and we must have been dashed to pieces more 

 than once, but for her steadiness and forbearance. At 

 last we were obliged to part with her : that is, we were 

 going to live where we could not keep her ; and a 

 friend took her into his park, where she was to remain 

 free all the rest of her life. Five years after, I was 

 sitting at an open window in the neighbourhood of the 

 metropolis, and a sound met my ear. ' If ever I heard 

 Peggy's step,' I exclaimed, Hhat is it; she is now 

 coming along the road.' I was disbelieved ; but in 

 one minute after, the still beautiful creature, though 

 thirty-three years old, was at the gate. We rushed to 

 her, we called her. She answered us, she danced about, 

 she rubbed her face against ours, she looked for the 

 same caresses, the same niceties, which she used to get 

 from us ; and half an hour quickly passed in mutual 

 caresses. The gentleman in whose park she had been 

 living had found her so fresh that he had ridden her by 



