8, OCCASIONAL HAPPY THOUGHTS. 



sounds sporting), I shouldn't have minded. But to put me 

 down as something so portly that I can only be suited by the 

 sort of horse a heavy Archdeacon would jog about on, is too 

 bad of Gloppin — in company — and I believe he does it on 

 purpose. 



Happy TJioiight. — Laugh the suggestion out of court. 

 Treat it as Gloppin's joke. If my attempt is successful, every 

 one v/ill think it was Gloppin's joke, and a very stupid one. 



" No," Gloppin insists, evidently rather annoyed at his 

 suggestion being pooh-poohed, " that is what you want, an 

 old gentleman's Cob, perfectly safe and sound. But," he 

 adds, " it's a precious difficult thing to get." 



I thought he knew of one. No, he doesn't, he " wishes he 

 did ; M'orth any money just now." Gloppin promises to be 

 on the look out, and to let me know of anything likely. A 

 relation of his, he says, had the very thing — "///<? very thing," 

 he repeats, emphatically, and then stops, as if debating 

 within himself whether his relation couldn't somehow be got 

 rid of, or the animal stolen, as it were, from under him. The 

 expression of Gloppin's face just now, does not suggest the 

 idea of obtaining his relative's horse by any fair means. 



" Won't he part with it ? " I ask, presently, with the air of 

 a millionnaire, to whom money was no object. 



" Part with it ! " returns Gloppin. " He sold it last week." 



Happy Thought. — Clumber, the livery stable-keeper, from 

 whom we have our flys, may know of something or have 

 something. Will see Clumber to-m.orrow. 



