THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 



and an occasional tip from his kind uncle (here the uncle 

 smiled, which, of course, implied assent), he may afford to 

 increase it to six, and a hack or two : and without that number 

 he would cut a very poor figure at Melton, and not a good one 

 with it. And as for his going to Melton, why, I ' 



' Yes, but, my good Inkleton, he has, I hear, taken stalls for 

 ten,' interrupted Mr. Beaumont Raby. 



' Has he ? — still it does not exactly follow that, because a 

 man takes a ten-stalled stable, he is obliged to put a horse 

 into every stall,' replied Sir John; 'nor has he intimated as 

 much. But since you have mentioned the subject to me, Raby, 

 permit me to deliver my opinion on it, and that without 

 reserve : — Let him have his ten Jiunters, if such he Ids ivislt ; 

 and do yon help him to buy and keep them.. You will not, I am 

 certain, have occasion to repent of the act. If a young man 

 attempt anything, let him try to do it well ; and this, I am 

 sure, is a maxim which you must approve. It equally applies 

 to hunting, as to any other pursuit ; and let me advise you, 

 as you helped to send your nephew to the fountain-head of 

 learning, where the best society was likely to be met with, to 

 send him to the fountain-head of fox-hunting, which Melton 

 surely is, and where advantages are to be looked for similar to 

 those thought so much of at Oxford. You know you doat on 

 Frank ; he is a noble-hearted fellow ; you will be delighted in 

 making him happy ; so at once open your purse-strings, and do 

 so. Give him a few hundreds towards purchasing his horses, 

 and add another hundred or two to his allowance.' 



' Your logic, Inkleton, is certainly good,' said the uncle ; ' you 

 have taken it from a great authority : Dr. Johnson has told us, 

 that whatever is worth doing at all, is worth trying to do well. 

 I confess I like what I have seen of the Melton men ; they are 

 sportsmen and gentlemen ; and although I could have wished 

 to have seen Frank a little higher up in the tree of life, I will 

 endeavour that he shall preserve the place he has allotted to 

 himself. I will, then, yield to your suggestions ; I will give 

 him £500 towards purchasing his horses, and will add £200 a 

 year to his allowance,' 



As may be imagined, the Baronet was not slow in communi- 

 cating this good news to his young friend, who felt, as he ought 

 to have felt, the kindness of both parties. Nor was it without 

 its good effect on Frank Raby, inasmuch as, in the overflow of 



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