244 SALE OF LORD GEORGE'S STUD. 



had been so long before Lord George joined the 

 Goodwood Stable. At this moment a note was 

 brought in and handed to me, with a verbal request 

 that I would read it at once. Having obtained 

 Mr Payne's permission, I opened it, and found that 

 it contained a request from the Duchess of 

 Richmond that I would go and see her Grace 

 before I returned to my own house. 



Immediately upon leaving Mr Payne, to whom I 

 respectfully refused to bind myself, one way or the 

 other, until the evening of the next day, I was 

 ushered into the Duchess's boudoir, where I found 

 her Grace, accompanied by two or three younger 

 members of her family. I shall never forget the 

 scene. Her Grace's kindness and sympathetic 

 nature were well known to all her friends and 

 dependants, and of these inestimable qualities I 

 had already received from her a thousand proofs. 

 When, therefore, she inquired with unrepressed 

 emotion, " John, is it true that you are about to 

 leave us and to train for Mr Payne ? " I felt as if 

 I was going to break down completely, and it was 

 with no little difficulty that I could find voice to 

 reply, " Your Grace, it appears that Lord George 

 has offered Mr Payne his stud at a ridiculously 

 low figure, and has recommended me to Mr Payne 

 as better able to train and manage them than any 

 one else. I have already told Mr Payne, however, 

 that I can enter into no arrangement with him 

 until I have ascertained the pleasure of his Grace." 



