STORIES OF DEALERS AND DUPES 249 



to ma par f ait e consideration, but I suspect you will 

 not get much consideration for your hundred and 

 fifty. I have the " 11 faut qu^il I'apprenne " fresh 

 in my memory cJiacun a son tour ! I have not 

 spent so much money about horses without being 

 able to make a broken -winded one fit to be examined 

 by your friend. 



6 The "ami" came; the "valet d'ecurie" came; the 

 saddle and bridle (such a saddle ! a kind of "demi- 

 pique " resuscitated), the bridle half red velvet and 

 silver buckles, came no matter ; the money came. 

 Out of kindness to the horse, I desired the French 

 groom not to give him any cold water that day; 

 those initiated in such matters will know why ; the 

 groom did not. 17 faut qu'il Vapprenne, thinks I. 

 The groom mounted, rode off " en dragon," stiff as a 

 poker, Monsieur 1'ami walking by his side, and, as I 

 saw, Frenchman-like, stopping ten times in the street 

 to show le beau cheval to some friend. Tout a Vheure, 

 tout a Vheure, thought I. 



'The next evening the friend waited 011 me, 

 begging I would go with him to look at the horse. 

 " Volontiers, Monsieur," and away we went. I found 

 him, of course, blowing away like a blacksmith's 

 bellows. "What was de mattere? vas de hors indis- 

 pose? "Eh, non;" Monsieur says " il est poussif; 

 voila tout." " Poussif, poussif!" cries Monsieur le 



. "Sacre! do I hear you right? you say de 



hors is what you call broke in de wind do I hear 



