THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 



" how much of the tive-pound note is left ? " " Tlie five-pound 

 note ! " he replied, " why not a rap : it all went the same day ; 

 part to pay off a score for filberts and sherry ; and the rest to 

 Jem Stevens, for hack-horses and tandems." Then, how much 

 do you think one of these chaps owed for gloves ? Why, three 

 pounds sixteen shillino-s ! But, now I think of it, and I never 

 mention Salt Hill that I don't tliink of it, I can tell you a better 

 stor}'- than either of these, to show how little your Eton blades 

 think of money. I had these same hopeful nephews of mine 

 (by the way, you know they have turned out very well, both 

 perfect gentlemen) to dine with me, on a whole holiday, at 

 Salt Hill, and was soft enough to tell them to bring half a dozen 

 of their friends with them. Well, of course, tliey did so ; and a 

 fine lot of youths they were ; very highly bred, I believe, all, and 

 the son of a duke amongst them. I gave them a good dinner, 

 but was diverted by an incident in the middle of it. " Hand 



round the cliampagne," said I to the waiter ; but Lord S 



put his hand on the top of his glass, and said, " No champagne 

 for me ; / am a n/ierry man." Pretty well, thought I, for a 

 lad of fourteen. However, they all delighted me by their be- 

 haviour, which was correct in every respect ; but when about 

 to rise from the table to return to Eton, I found that I had not 

 done with them yet. " You must pouch tliese fellows, uncle," 

 whispered William. " Pouch them," said I, " what do you mean 

 by pouching them ? " " Tipping them," was his reply. " They 

 will consider themselves insulted if you do not." "All," re- 

 sumed I, " now I comprehend you : and what must I give 

 them ? " " Oh ! " replied James, my younger nephew, " a guinea 

 apiece will do." Here, then, was a good day's work ; for what 

 with the bill at the inn, and the poucldng, I had not much left 

 out of a twenty-pound note.' 



' A true bill, no doubt, Freemantle,' said Mr. Raby ; ' Eton, 

 I find, is about the same as it was in my time ; and 

 your mention of Stevens, whose miserable hacks we used to 

 ride, often at the expense of a flogging, reminds me of an 

 anecdote of his hopeful son, Jem. When Wentworth left 

 Eton, he was so enamoured of this aspiring blade, that he 

 hired him as his personal servant ; but he returned to his old 

 quarters, at the expiration of three months ; when lie thus 

 accounted for Jdmself, as we magistrates say on the liencli. 

 " Mr. Vorth," said he, " was veil enough ; indeed he vislied to 



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