242 SALE OF LOUD GEORGE'S STUD. 



you give me 10,000 for all my lot, beginning 

 with old Bay Middleton and ending with little 

 Kitchener, and take them with all their engage- 

 ments and responsibilities off my hands ? " Mr 

 George Payne immediately replied, " If you will 

 give me till to-morrow at noon, Bentinck, to con- 

 sider the matter, I will either accept your offer 

 or will pay you down 300 if I decline it." 

 " Agreed," said Lord George, quietly ; and upon 

 that Mr Payne sat down by his Lordship's side, 

 and they entered into a long sotto voce conversa- 

 tion with each other. Mr Payne remarked that 

 his own trainer, Montgomery Dilly, was not equal 

 to the task of training so many horses, and presid- 

 ing over such a monster establishment, and there- 

 fore he asked Lord George to advise him what to 

 do in case a bargain was concluded between them. 

 His Lordship was pleased to advise Mr Payne to 

 engage me to train the horses and to manage the 

 stud ; adding that, from my long experience in 

 connection with the Goodwood stable, I knew the 

 horses and their dispositions thoroughly, and was 

 better qualified than any other man to undertake 

 the business. Thereupon Mr Payne sent for me 

 immediately, and from him I learned for the first 

 time that Lord George had resolved to quit the 

 Turf. Knowing his Lordship's inflexibility and 

 the iron firmness of his character, I was well 

 aware that it was useless for me, or for any one 

 else, to attempt to turn him from his purpose. 



