Bn Unfortunate Biscovcn? 39 



been more so had his lordship been in better 

 hands. 



An amusing incident, and one worth narrating, 

 happened in connection with ' Macaroni's ' Derby. 

 The late Mr. John Mannington, the veterinary 

 surgeon, of Brighton, was one of George Fordham's 

 most intimate friends, and they were returning home 

 together to Banstead, where they were staying for the 

 Epsom meeting of 1 863. They were riding along the 

 road, it being a very hot day, when they came up 

 with an old gentlemanly-looking farmer walking that 

 way. Fordham began talking and chaffing, which he 

 was very fond of doing, and Mannington thought he 

 would ride on and leave them to their discussion. 

 Presently he heard a row, and turning round saw that 

 Fordham had knocked the hat nearly over the old 

 man's eyes, and was still bonneting him. Mr. Man- 

 nington returned, and found poor Fordham in an 

 awful rage, saying, " It is only your age protects you," 

 but still giving him one or two. Mannington stopped 

 it, and on asking what was the matter, it was explained 

 that the old fellow had said : " Well, I always have 

 thought that Fordham was a thief, but I have 

 proved it to-day." It turned out afterwards the old 

 gentleman was an old farmer named Oldaker, who 

 used to keep the course at Harpenden on horse- 



