MR PAYNE PAYS FORFEIT. 245 



" John," rejoined her Grace, " if you leave Good- 

 wood, there will be an end to the delight and 

 pride which we have all taken in the horses. As 

 long as his Grace lives he will always keep horses, 

 and so long there will be a comfortable home for 

 you." Without a moment's hesitation I answered, 

 "If it be his Grace's wish and your own that I 

 should continue at Goodwood, I will not leave 

 it until you wish me to do so." 



I did not see Mr Payne again that night, but 

 what I had said to her Grace was quickly com- 

 municated to him. Next morning at breakfast he 

 pulled out his pocket-book, and without a word 

 handed 300 to Lord George, who, I have no 

 doubt, was sorry under the circumstances to 

 receive the forfeit. Upon reaching the race- 

 course, I found that every one knew what had 

 transpired on the previous evening, and that 

 morning at Goodwood House, and that the desire 

 to purchase Lord George's magnificent stud for 

 what one gentleman described as "a crust of 

 bread" was almost universal. Among others, a 

 group consisting partly of gentlemen and partly of 

 bookmakers, with Mr Henry Padwick of Horsham 

 commonly called " The Sussex Lawyer " at 

 their head, were conspicuously busy in making pre- 

 parations, until their further negotiations were 

 summarily arrested by Lord George's declaration 

 to me that " nothing would induce him to sell to 

 a set of bookmakers." He added that unless some 



