ABOUT BUYING A HORSE. 27 



another. Besides who's to know that I do keep a Hotel if I 

 don't tell them ? 



Friends would come down, see me at the Hotel. *' Hallo 

 you here ? " " Yes," I could reply, " capital place to stop at. 

 I've been here for some time." I could puff it, enormously, 

 without being suspected, and, to keep up appearances, I 

 would dine in the coffee-room, make a row about the bill, 

 when I Avould always be in the wrong, and the Hotel mani- 

 festly right, and then say, audibly, "I thought I'd get 'em to 

 take something off; but I must say they're deuced honest 

 people, and, after all, seventeen shillings for such magnificent 

 champagne as they've got here, is 7iot dear." Carry out this 

 role well, and here's another fortune. 



That's two fortunes I've thought of this morning within 

 the last five minutes. Wonder if that vin ordiTiaire was of 

 a better quality than usual. 



Happy Thought. — Paid my bill. Go back by boat to 

 Folkestone at night. Choose night, because there's uobody up 

 to look at you when you arrive. 



