ii6 OCCASIONAL HAPPY THOUGHTS. 



No. Fifty. You may either take him or leave him. But 

 you won't get such a chance as this again.'' 



He is on the point of mounting ; but doesn't. 



I think over " fifty." Suppose after I've got him I find he 

 has a something in his foot : or a trick of — well, Heaven 

 knows what— but a trick. Or if, in short, generally, if he 

 isn't worth the money ? 



" I'd better get Trott, the vet, to look at him," I say. 



*' Trott himself wanted to buy him," returns Jarvis, confi- 

 dently, " and p'raps he'd ha' come to you with him faked up 

 for sale, and have got seventy for him. No, no," adds Jarvis, 

 winking knowingly at my Aunt, and shaking his head ; " / 

 know Trott, and what he wants to buy, I know well enough / 

 can sell." 



I hesitate. There are other horses besides this. Why, 

 won't Jarvis let me have him on trial ? And yet, on the 

 other hand, why should I doubt Jarvis 1 



" I'll tell you what I'll do," says Jarvis, after a silence. 

 " You shall drive him to-morrow where you like, any distance, 

 and ride him too, and I'll just charge you merely for his 

 hire. Why Mister Hoxton, of Springfield, he'd have that 

 cob every day on hire if I'd let him. But I won't 'cos he's 

 not careful enough. Now I know I can trust him with you, 

 Sir." 



Very good. I accept. Jarvis has clearly made a con- 

 cession, and I meet him half-way. 



" Your man," says Jarvis, looking at the gardener, " can 

 take him now." 



" My man," who, up to this time has merely been a 



