THE LATE DUKE OF WELLINGTOX. 243 



Xo sooner had I reached the stables than I 

 sent for the head-groom and the Duke's state 

 coachman, to whom I explained all that had 

 occurred. 



"Well, you have gone and done it," said the 

 latter, who was a most eccentric character. 

 " We wouldn't have taken three hundred 

 guineas for that horse." 



This knight of the ribbons, be it remarked, 

 always spoke in the plural number, and talked 

 of what we had done in the Peninsula, 

 of our triumphal entry into Madrid, and 

 of how ive had beaten Ney and all the French 

 marshals. 



Happily for me the Duke, who had been 

 occupied all day, was out riding, and I did not 

 see him until we met at dinner. T had fully 

 made up my mind to tell him of the accident 

 before going to bed, but waited until I re- 

 ceived a further account of the horse's state. 



As a large party was assembled, little was 

 said about the hunt until the ladies left the 

 room, when I was called upon to give an ac- 

 count of the run, which I did. I then men- 

 tioned the brilliant manner in which Elmore had 

 carried me, and the panegyrics he had received 



from all. 



E 2 



