COUNT D'ORSAY. 17 



did his companions, to abandon fashionable restraint, 

 and give themselves up to rollicking schoolboy enjoy- 

 ment when they came to the White Hart. "Knife- 

 spinning" after dinner was one great source of fun. 

 The Count and Mr. Peyton, afterwards Sir Henry, were 

 the two generally pitted against each other, one on each 

 side of the table ; the knives, selected by themselves, 

 were w^U balanced, and at a given signal were set 

 going by a swift twirl, and the betting commenced. 

 I have seen scores of pounds lost over each match. 

 When the Count had won, which was often the case, 

 he was very liberal to the servants in attendance ; 

 and I remember once on his leaving late at night, his 

 carriage and four post-horses standing at the front door 

 to take him to London, he distributed his sovereigns so 

 plentifully that, happening to be in the hall, I too, as a 

 boy, scrambled for and secured one of them, much to 

 my delight. On one occasion, when he had only come 

 prepared to stay two days, he was persuaded to prolong 

 his visit, and he sent for the host and said, '' \Miat am I 

 to do ? I have no more clothes here except what I wore 

 yesterday and to-day." My father said that of course 

 they would do again. " No, no," replied the Count ; '* I 

 must not appear at the meet in the same dress again. 

 You must send an express to London for my valet to 

 bring a change of dress ; " and off went Humphrey, the 

 old post-boy, on a saddle-horse to Mayfair, with a letter 

 to his valet to come prepared for the next day. This 

 was about six o'clock in the evening, and I recollect 

 old Humphrey telling me that he had three horses on 

 the road, changing at Berkhampstead and Watford, and 



