MR. GUBBINS AND HIS lEISH DEEBY 43 



I paid Mr. Linde, who was one of the kindest 

 and best, an annual visit. Linde's horses were at 

 exercise on the Curragh one morning early, when 

 a certain gentleman, whose father was a baron, 

 rode much too near the horses, which one of the 

 entire horses, named Red Prince II, resented, and 

 which annoyed Mr. Linde, who said : 



" Where are you going to, ye spalpeen ? " The 

 man turned round, and answered : 



" Sir, do you know who you are talking to ? " 



" No, and never a bit do I care ! " said he ; " you 

 have no right upsetting my horses." 



" Well, I^m Baron 's son." 



" Well, it's a pity your mother hadn't been 

 barren too ! " 



I am aware, of course, that this story has been 

 often told, and it may be regarded as a " chestnut," 

 but it is seldom ascribed to its true author, and 

 therefore I put the facts on record here. It was, 

 however, a year or two after Blairfinde's Irish 

 Derby when the incident in question occurred, 

 for I remember that on my way home to see Mr. 

 Gubbins my train was in Limerick Station, for by 

 some mistake I had got in the wrong train, and 

 arrived at Limerick in a carriage to myself. Up 

 came a porter and said : 



" Shure, are you Mr. Sam Darling ? " 



** Yes," I said, and he walked away. Presently 



