Mr. Grhiboy. 1 3 



this and Tom that. Then he will get quite excited, kick 

 out his little shrivelled legs under the table, and go on to 

 relate with much gusto how he horsewhipped Mr. Lamb- 

 skin, the attorney, at Bullerton, one fine day. *' It would 

 have been all very well, but, begad ! I got hold of the 

 wrong man, sirs, and had to pay five hundred pounds, 

 damme! Five hundred pounds ! Fancy that, for thrashing 

 a damned attorney ! Dear, wasn't it ? It was pleasant at 

 the time, though. Gad ! how he bellowed when I gave it 

 him." Horsewhipping the attorney was not the only 

 scrape of the kind that the irascible Mr. Grimboy had to 

 pay for. As we have before mentioned, the Squire had a 

 mortal aversion to railways, and in the early days of the 

 reign of King Hudson he lived in perpetual dread of the 

 iron road encroaching on his domain. At last his dream 

 came true. Sitting one hot summer's night after dinner 

 over his wine, in company with the curate of the parish — 

 a mild youth fresh from the University — they were 

 suddenly interrupted by the abrupt entrance of Mr. 

 Mulbery, the butler, who rushed into the room purple in 

 the face with excitement. " They're come, sir, they're 

 come! " gasped he. " Who's come, you fool ? " replied his 

 master. " Why, the railway people, sir. Giles has 

 just come up to say that there's, a lot of 'em at this 

 moment, a measurin' with their nasty tapes and lines, and 

 the like, down in the walley." 



*' Come oUy^ shouted the Squire, " Come onj^ and away 

 he went, pumped and silk-socked as he was, not even 

 waiting for a hat, followed by the curate, who caught up 

 a thick stick in the hall as he passed, and trotted along be- 

 hind the irate Squire, mentally repeating as he went along 

 an impromptu prayer against battle, murder, and sudden 



