THE LTI E OF A SPORTSMAN 



It so happened that, on this evening, there was no male 

 stranger guest at the Abbey ; and after the ladies left the 

 dinner- room, Mr. Raby and his only son were left by themselves, 

 over a bottle of Griffiths's port. 



'Well, Frank,' said Mr. Raby, ' although by Dick's account 

 you have got too fast for my harriers, I find you met with your 

 match yesterday with the foxhounds, for I hear the horses were 

 all very much beat.' 



' They were, indeed,' replied Frank ; ' in sliort, only one horse 

 had wind left in him to leap a very high stile at the tinisli, and 

 I bought him.' 



' You did right, Frank,' said the father ; ' that is to say. if you 

 bought him at a reasonable price.' 



' Two hundred was the price,' said our hero. 



'A large sum, to be sure,' observed Mr. Raby, 'but I suppose 

 a horse that shows such superiority at the end of a long fox- 

 chase commands a large sum. I shall order Robson to give 

 you the money to-morrow, or perhaps a check on my banker 

 will be preferable, as you will have to send it to the gentleman 

 by the post.' 



' The gentleman is paid for the horse, sir,' said Frank ; 

 ' Sir John lent me the mone}^ : but now we are on the subject 

 of money, I have a few words to say to you, and a better oppor- 

 tunity may not, perhaj)s, present itself, as I am going fi'om 

 home to-morrow for a week or ten days. As my poor elder 

 brother is now no longer a charge upon you, perhaps you will 

 have the kindness to increase my allowance, for I should be 

 very sorry to find myself involved in debts which I could not 

 readily pay.' 



' I am glad to hear you say so,' replied Mr. Raby : ' as for 

 myself, I never had the courage to get into debt ; but, Frank, 

 have you quite abandoned the idea of going abroad ? Your 

 uncle is very anxious that you should go, and I must say I am 

 not a little so myself.' 



' I am sorry to thwart the wishes of either yourself or my 

 uncle,' resumed our hero; 'but, upon my word, I do not see 

 the use of my incurring such an expense. Besides, in wliat 

 shall I be better for visiting foreign countries, when I cannot 

 talk or understand the language of tlieni :* You know Doctor 

 Johnson has put it in black and white — that he never met with 

 Si man who could talk a whit the better for having been abroad ; 



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