CAPTAIN SHABBYHOUNDE 253 



one of these. We will give an instance of his 

 observing acuteness and anxiety to "do business," 

 as they say on 'Change. As he was getting on to 

 his horse one morning, he saw a woman coming up 

 with a pig in a string by the leg, after the approved 

 fashion of pig-driving, and all sorts of dealing being 

 interesting, she was accosted by a passing countryman 

 as to what she had given for it. " Far o'er much," 

 replied the lady, desirous of having the inquirer's 

 estimate before she told. 



"You'd give six-and-twenty shillings, perhaps," 

 rejoined the man. 



"No, a guinea," replied the lady. 



Well, the Captain went to meet the hounds, and 

 after drawing Copgrove Hanging "\^'ood and 

 Ashbourne Gorse blank, they turned in the direc- 

 tion of Harpsford, intending to go to Drewsborough 

 Great Wood. 



On the road coming down the Chequers Hill, 

 what should Captain Shabbyhounde espy but his 

 friend with the pig in the string, who, with that 

 obstinate sort of stupidity called pigheadedness, was 

 quartering the road as if to make the most of the 

 journey. The Captain's keen eye saw " opportunity," 

 and tickhng old Beelzebub in the flank, he coaxed 

 him in between young Tom Pappington and Miles 

 Brown, who were enjoying an angry discussion on 

 the corn-laws. Both being rather beat for arguments 

 (indeed what they advanced were only the crumbs 

 they had picked up at their fathers' tables), they 

 were not sorry to transfer the further discussion to 

 the Captain if he was inclined to accept of the boon. 

 Accordingly they appealed to him for his opinion of 

 protection, and the Captain prolonging a draw at 

 his cigar — that most convenient of all idea furnishers 

 — drawled out at length, as he watched the upward 

 curl of smoke rise above his nose, that he thought 

 repeal would bring down prices. 



