ABOUT BUYING A HORSE. 107 



men. This, however, has nothing to do with horse- 

 dealing. 



Feeling that it is his turn to move in the game, Jarvis 

 says, repeating himself to begin with, 



" Yes, you won't see such a little 'orse as that every day. 

 Reg'lar good plucked 'un." 



Happy Thought. — A reg'lar good "plucked 'un" must 

 mean that the animal has failed in passing a veterinar}" 

 examination. 



As Jarvis wouldn't understand this joke, and as (besides 

 Pullinger, who's a Clergyman, and mightn't like joking) 

 there's only one gentleman (the Equestrian Visitor) present 

 who may, or may not, be up to it, I decide upon not risking 

 it. Shall note it down, and arrange it for one of Sydney 

 Smith's good things. Then people will say, " How witty ! 

 so like him ! " 



The Tall Equestrian, who cannot possibly be interested 

 in my being taken in and done for by Jarvis or any other 

 horse-dealer, observes gratuitously, 



" Yes ! he's not a bad stamp of animal." 



Vvliereat the Ladies appear interested. 



Now what does he mean by a "bad stamp"? If he were 

 a bad stamp he wouldn't evidently be worth a penny. But 

 that he should be only " not a bad stamp " doesn't seem to 

 imply that he is a good stamp, but is very nearly being a 

 good stamp. It's as if you said of a bottle of spurious Eaic 

 de Cologne^ " Yes, that's Eau de Cologne, only it's not Jean 

 Maria FarinaP 



