66 OCCASIONAL HAPPY THOUGHTS. 



a gentleman in Devonshire, as was very sweet upon 

 her." 



Now that there is a chance of no^ getting her, I say, " O, 

 never mind the gentleman in Devonshire," and I at once 

 begin to feel that she is (particularly after all this trouble), 

 just the thing to suit me. 



" I'd like to part with her to j'ou, Sir," says Clumber, 

 pathetically, " 'cos I know as she's sure of a good home." 



He evidently doesn't think much of the gentleman in 

 Devonshire. He speaks of her having a " good home" with 

 me as though I should keep her in the drawing-room, and, 

 by implication, that the gentleman in Devonshire would put 

 her out in the dust-hole. I appreciate the compliment to 

 my humanity. In Clumber's eyes I am the merciful man who 

 is merciful to his beast. I am flattered by his preference. 

 Come, let him name his price. 



" Well," he says, as if deliberating a nice point, " I can't 

 exactly say now, because she don't belong to me altogether, 

 as you may say — she belongs to my Father-in-law, and he 

 won't come back till the day after to-morrow, and I don't 

 quite know what he'd say about it if I'd parted with her 

 while he was away. But," says he, brightening up, and 

 becoming a trifle less husky than usual, " if he don't want to 

 keep her— and he's very fond of the little mare, 'cos she's so 

 gentle with children," (quite touching this : the tender side 

 of Clumber's character)—" I'll let you know the day after 

 to-morrow." 



Good. Agreed. Ali^m. — To hear from Clumber; day 

 after to-morrow. 



