THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 



know his Lordsliip well ; he comes from my own country. 

 How I should like to stop and ask him how he does ! " Now, 

 as to that part of the story, you know it was quite out of the 

 question, as the hall is nearly a mile from the road ; but, as 

 ill-luck for the Irishman would have it, we had not gone far 

 before we meets my Lord, who pulls up his horse and gives me 

 a letter to take to a friend of his in Oxford. " Who is that 

 gentleman ? " said the Irishman as soon as the coach went on- 

 " That noblevum, sir," said I, " is the Earl of Connell." Now, I 

 says nothing moi-e on the subject for as much as a quarter of 

 an hour, giving the gentleman time to recover himself a little, 

 for he looked mighty simple after the answer I gave him about 

 his "friend " ; but, at last, I turns myself a little towards him 

 on the box, and looking full in his face, says, — " Why, sir, you 

 seems very intimate with that there Lord." ' 



* Capital ! ' exclaimed Lord Edmonston ; ' Junius himself 

 never gave a man a more severe rebuke. Let me ask you a 

 question. From your constant observation of character, are 

 you able to distinguish beforehand the persons by whom you 

 are likely to be best remunerated for your trouble — at all events, 

 those who will do you justice, by giving you the customary 

 fee?' 



' There are but three descriptions of passengers,' replied 

 Jem, ' who pay moi'e than the accustomed fee, and those are 

 very soon picked out. Thei'e is, first, the gentleman who not 

 only bespeaks the box place, but who asks questions about the 

 horses, etc. ; he is sure to come the double tip. Next, is the 

 quiet, gentlemanlike-looking passenger, with a good collar to 

 his coat, who merely asks a few questions about the places we 

 pass by on the road, and who has a good-sized black portman- 

 teau about the coach. We are pretty sure of him. But the 

 best customer of all is the just paid-off sailor, three-parts drunk. 

 I have often had a crown put into my hands by one of those 

 chaps, and once half a guinea, which I refused. " Why, you 

 lubberly land lubber," said he, " if I don't give it to you, I shall 

 give it to the next that steers us ; put it into your locker, and 

 be thankful." ' 



' How do you find women pay you i ' asked Houghton. 

 ' Generally speaking, unless they happen to have a young- 

 child about the coach, which you arc kind to,' answered Jen), 

 ' or can throw in a word or two, to tickle them about their 



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