212 iRiOino IRecollections auD Uurf Stones 



won the Beaufort Handicap that a most amusing in- 

 cident happened, and it was to the gentleman I have 

 just alluded to. I must tell you Mr. Gosden was a 

 very well-dressed man — in fact, I don't know of 

 anyone who took more pains with himself in this 

 respect, and repaid it better. He always looked as 

 if he came out of a bandbox. Mr. Gosden devoted 

 time and trouble to his toilet, and many a laugh we 

 had at his expense. Seven o'clock was his hour for 

 being called in the morning, when the maid took him 

 his cup of tea and shaving-water. What he used 

 to do with himself afterwards we did not know ; any- 

 how, he would make his appearance about half-past 

 nine ready for breakfast, and a good one it usually 

 was. He generally wore a brown or black frock- 

 coat, a worked double-breasted waistcoat cut rather 

 low to show off a pleated-front shirt with plain gold 

 studs, and always wore a satin tie, his own colours — 

 green and black belt — with a square white collar. 

 We never could make out, but always fancied, that 

 it was the tie that took him so long to get right. 

 When he came down he was always looking in the 

 glass, and adjusting it. It always appeared to be 

 the sixteenth part of an inch too long either one 

 end or the other, and he never could make out which. 

 On this particular day in 1S73, ' Protomartyr ' 



