THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 



expressed himself, in his usual elegantly familiar style, upon 

 this occasion : ^ — 



' Well, Mr. Raby, you have made your debut very much to 

 your satisfaction, and I must tell you, to mine. In the first 

 place, I am olad that you have become a member of Bibury ; 

 and, in the next, your trainer gave me the Welter by a false 

 estimate of your horse. You would have beaten me if you had 

 not waited on your horses. However, a jockey should obey 

 orders, you know, Mr. Raby, unless he finds a very good reason 

 for disregarding them. Lilly is a clever fellow, but he certainly 

 made a mistake, which you have great credit for correcting, 

 and entirely on your own judgment. You will be a match for 

 us all in a very short time. And how is your excellent 

 mother ? I knew Lady Charlotte Raby well in early days, 

 and once danced a minuet with her. Pray tell her I inquired 

 after her.' 



' You do her great honour, sir,' replied Raby ; ' I shall carefully 

 obey your Royal Highness 's commands.' 



' So you are going to make a hunter of Nameless,' continued 

 the Prince. 



' I am, sir,' answered our hero. 



' And a good hunter he will make,' said the Prince, ' with so 

 good a horseman on his back.' 



Our hero bowed, and the Prince moved on. 



But a word or two of Lord Solville, who was, as has been 

 stated, at the Prince's side at the moment. The Prince had a 

 horse called Ploughater, that was a most difficult horse to ride. 

 He was not only a determined hard puller in his races, but 

 went very much on his shoulders, with his nose nearly sweep- 

 in o- the ground. It is needless to observe that a horse of this 

 description required a va.st deal of riding ; and it was said at 

 the time that no member of the club, but Lord Solville, could 

 ride him as he ought to be ridden, and hitherto he had never 

 lost a race upon him. On the third day of this meeting, how- 

 ever, his Lordship rode him to his cost. So great was his 

 exertion in pulling him together, in rather a sharply contested 

 race, that no sooner had he dismounted from his back, than a 

 blood-vessel burst witliin liim. Medical aid was resorted to, 



^ There is every reason to believe that the week passed by the Prince, during 

 Bibury meeting, when he felt himself thoroughly divested of the shackles of state 

 and royalty, was to him the pleasantest of the Avhole year. 



336 



