118 THE POST AND THE PADDOCK. 



to return to the haunts of his youth, and " earnestly 

 entreated that the affair might be buried in oblivion/' 

 he felt an immense interest in everything that con- 

 cerned the Heath ; and when, on this occasion, Mem- 

 non had cantered past him, with Sam "up," he 

 rattled away with " Well, William, how are you all 

 going on at Newmarket ? How's Pratt ? does he still 

 feed his horses on potatoes ? He's Irish, too, is my 

 friend here" (pointing with an arch look to the Mar- 

 quis) ; and then, with a melancholy thought of old 

 times, he added " 1 wish I was among you again, 

 William ; but I am very happy here ; I've everything 

 to make me so I've my hunters, and my hounds (mo- 

 tioning with his whip to the Royal Kennels), and my 

 racers again, and Virginia Water and the Lodge; 

 but the old enemy' 3 and he shook his head as he 

 glanced at his large lace-boot. He had no idea of 

 beating Memnon with Mortgage the next day, as the 

 latter was a very middling animal, and was shortly 

 afterwards turned into a hack in the Pimlico stables. 

 Memnon also retired quite worn out before another 

 Ascot Cup day ; but at present the King was anxious 

 to make a match between him and Fleur-de-lis, whom 

 he had just purchased from Sir Matthew White Rid- 

 ley, for 2,000 guineas. This idea came to nothing, 

 as the Chifneys had never a very exalted idea of 

 Memnon in his best day, and Lord Darlington was 

 too good a judge to make a match when the horse 

 was beginning to lose all form, with one of the very 

 finest mares that ever looked through a bridle. But 

 for her tumble at the Intake turn, it is very probable 

 that she would have beaten him in the St. Leger; 

 and as it was, she got as much in the way of The 

 Alderman, who was gradually stealing to the fore, 

 that Sam was obliged to chuck him up in his stride 

 to prevent his falling over her, and only finished a 

 fair second. The mare had had another tumble in 

 running against Longwaist (for whom 3,000 guineas 

 had just been refused), for the Silver Tureen, at 



