186 THE POCKET AND THE STUD. 



Walking with an acquaintance an hour after- 

 wards in Hyde Park, I saw some one coming up 

 Rotten Row, at a good or rather bad hunting 

 gallop. " Well," said I to my companion, " that 

 gentleman has got a brute under him at all events." 

 When he came nearer, lo ! it was my friend on the 

 new bargain. He came up. " How do you like 

 your mare?" "Not at all; she is lame behind, I 

 am sure, from her manner of going." " Just trot 

 her fifty yards, and let us see," said I. My com- 

 panion and I agreed she was sound enough ; but her 

 hind legs seemed as if nature never intended them 

 to help her along. I told my friend she was sound ; 

 but as she was bought, I did not wish to put him 

 out of humour with her, by telling him I thought 

 her an awful beast. " But," said he, " she is a 

 roarer." "Oh! your humble servant," said I, 

 ff go back to Tattersall's : she was sold as a hunter. 

 If you find that, notwithstanding her noise, she 

 has been regularly hunted, you are fixed ; if she 

 has not, return her." He did so, and somehow 

 got out of her: it will be seen by this, that, 

 though it is very judicious to take the advice of a 

 friend, we should consider what friend, and whether 

 his advice is worth having. 



