THE COiVIMISSIONER AND HIS DOINGS. 251 



insincerity, whilst the commissioner or his satelHtes alone are 

 culpable for the mismanagement or imposition. 



A commission given in this way often defeats its own ends. 

 Long before it is half executed, the horse is injudiciously 

 rushed in the market and becomes first favourite, and the 

 shortest possible price has afterwards to be taken, or much of 

 the commission left undone. Thus the average price becomes 

 a bad one, a result which many have too much reason to regret 

 from bitter experience. It is only natural that fault is found 

 all round, the commissioner, who is in fact the delinquent, 

 alone escaping. The trainer, the jockey, nay, even the poor 

 stable-boy, are mercilessly condemned. The commissioner 

 expatiates on his own merits and those of his colleagues. 



" Had it not been for strategic movements," he cries, " and 

 for well-timed diplomacy on my part, the result would have 

 been a total failure, instead of obtaining, as I have done, a very 

 fair average price for nearly the whole of the money. I saw, 

 as who did not .-* that the field was a weak one. The book- 

 makers would not bet, for our horse's excellent chance was 

 patent to every one. If I had not smartly taken the price, 

 others would have snapped it up and things would have been 

 very much worse." 



This charming language, this unbounded candour and 

 persuasive argument, carry the day. The owner concurs in 

 censure of the one, and eulogy of the other, section of those 

 he employs. And so the farce is repeated again and again, 

 unfortunately with the same disastrous result. I willingly 

 admit that there are commissioners who do not serve their 

 employers thus dishonestly, enriching themselves at their 

 patron's expense ; but I have no hesitation in saying that 

 there are too many who thus " arrive at fortune on their first 

 lord's neck." 



