96 The Hon. Adolphus Lightfoot. 



finally the stableman told off to reconnoitre came back with 

 the intelligence that the Captain had driven straight 

 through both fords, and by this time was nearly home. A 

 roar of laughter went up at the news. '' Well ! " ex- 

 claimed the disappointed Dolly to his laughing friends, 

 " hang me, if that ain't the rummest go I ever knew ! 

 After that we had better go to bed." As he lit his 

 candle, he could not resist making an exceedingly bad 

 joke. '' What the Devil does old Satan mean by it ? " said 

 he. When the gallant Captain Dabber came down to 

 breakfast in the morning, and was informed of the change 

 of ponies, he chuckled hugely to himself, for he had heard 

 all about Satan's peculiarities, and having promptly 

 '' Olivered," as he called it, to the trick they had attempted 

 to play upon him, he, without loss of time, dispatched the 

 following note by one of his men : — 



Ivy Lodge, 



Wednesday. 

 Dear Lightfoot, 



You are evidently too liberal with the strong beer in your servants 

 hall, for your fool of a man popped your pony, instead of mine, between 

 the shafts of my trap last night, and I did not discover it in the dark, 

 though I thought the beggar was uncommon slow. I now send him back. 

 Kindly return my beast by bearer. 



Yours truly, 



Charles Dabber. 



P.S. — I've told my man to be sure and stick to the road, as I know 

 your pony doesn't as a rule care about facing water, though he came 

 through the fords last night as pleasant as possible with fne. But 

 there, I always had a wonderful way with women and horses. 



To the Honourable Adolphus Lightfoot. 



"There, that'll fetch him ! " said old Charlie, with a grin, 

 as he fastened the envelope down with a lick of his great 

 tongue and handed it to Mrs. Plummer to give his man. 



