ABOUT BUYING A HORSE. 149 



Murgle would swear that the knees were all right (or, at 

 all events, not like they are now), when Jelfer took the 

 Chestnut away. 



However, these are only the magic-lantern slides pre- 

 sented by a conscience, which has not yet got acclimatised 

 to the atmosphere of horse-dealing. 



The Postman comes with a letter. 



Jelfer's handwriting. 



I tremble ! I open it I It does not begin. " Confound 

 you, you swindling rascal ! " but, in his old style, " Dear old 

 boy ! "—Good fellow, Jelfer ! 



Happy Thought. — I begin to think the Chestnut must 

 have been all right. Hope so sincerely. Only ought'nt I 

 to have got more for her — I mean him ? 



Note. — Sometimes " GazelW^ is called " she;" sometimes 

 "he." This is my Aunt's fault. Directly my Aunt saw the 

 animal, she christened it " Gaselle " on the spot, and settled 

 its sex as feminine. I had no objections to make. All cats 

 are called " she ;"' and all pretty-looking horses, in my Aunt's 

 opinion, are feminine nominally. 



Thus it happens that Gazelle has been sometimes " she," 

 sometimes "he." To avoid controversy, and not to have 

 any subsequent dispute with Jelfer as to my having sold it 

 under false pretences, I always spoke to him (or tried to) of 

 the horse as " it,'' or as " Gazelle.'^ 



Jelfer's letter informs me that he is perfectly satisfied with 

 " Gazelle" which is already quite a favourite with his family 

 — (never knew Jelfer had a family — hope he won't be such 



