84 The Hon. AdolpJms Lightfoot. 



it was impossible during the service.) '* I feel sure you 

 will understand me and enter into my feelings when I tell 

 you that, having only a younger son's portion, it really is 

 as much as I can do to make both ends meet. But if five 

 shillings, or say half a sovereign — half a sovereign — is any 

 good, why, here it is, don't you know." And away will go 

 the worthy rector with Dolly's half-sovereign, or, what is 

 more likely, the promise of the same, in his pocket, quite 

 impressed with that elderly reprobate's conversation, 

 telling his wife, indeed, when he reaches home, that he 

 don't believe half the stories they tell of that gentleman's 

 goings-on. 



To the horse-dealer our friend takes a different tone, 

 though the principle is the same. *' No, dash it all ! 

 Snaffle," he will say, '^you must draw it mild, 'pon my soul 

 you must ; that's an uncommon nice horse and I'll take all 

 you say about him as gospel ; but three hundred guineas, 

 you know, to a poor devil of a younger son like myself 

 will never do. Quite out of the question, in fact. I'm not 

 one of those chaps rolling in money, who buy their nags 

 just in the same way they do their boots and gloves, and 

 when they do get a good 'un, don't appreciate him. No, 

 I'm different. A good horse is a luxury to a pauper like me, 

 and, if I was to buy this one you're now showing me, I 

 should laud him to the skies, and never tire of telling 

 people all about him, and who I bought him of. Why, 

 you'll hardly believe it, but here am I at this moment 

 actually reduced to smoking Mexican cigars " (Dolly was at 

 that identical moment smoking one he had paid Benson 

 ten guineas a pound for) ''at threepence a piece — three- 

 pence a piece, I give you my word ! — obliged to retrench in 

 fact, all round. Come now, Snaffle, you and I have had a 



