164 THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 



accidents, and the probability of the produce not being 

 worth as many shillings after another hundred have been 

 expended upon him. In fact, it is asserted, and I believe 

 on good authority, that the present Lord Grosvenor, 

 although a winner of the immense sum of 200,000, is 

 still a loser by his breeding paddocks, all expenses being 

 reckoned. Moreover, Frank, although it has been noted 

 for lovers of all field sports indeed your Uncle Beaumont 

 and poor Andrew are the only exceptions within the last 

 200 years the name of Raby has never yet appeared to 

 a race-horse ; nor am I by any means anxious that it 

 should. A fox-hunter you may be, with my hearty 

 approbation ; it is getting to the top branch of the tree, 

 although I had not the nerve to ascend so high ; it is 

 there, I believe, that perfection is to be found. But I 

 would not combine the pursuits which are in themselves 

 so opposite ; it would resemble the mingling of garlands 

 of roses with the poison of deadly nightshade. But to 

 the point, Frank ; I will increase your allowance to 800 

 a year, paid half-yearly ; I will pay for the hunter you 

 have just bargained for, and for another as good, if you 

 can find him ; and then I should imagine, with what is 

 vulgarly termed the run of your own teeth, and those of 

 your horses and servants at home, when you wish to be at 

 home, you will not only have no cause for complaint, but 

 be enabled to make as good an appearance, and enjoy 

 yourself as much as any other young heir-apparent in this 

 county, or the next." 



Here our hero nodded assent, and afterwards ac- 

 knowledged the kindness of his father in commonplace 

 words, which it may not be worth while to repeat. But 

 a bystander would have observed a something in his 

 manner at the moment, which too plainly showed the 

 final result of the conversation was by no means satis- 

 factory. In fact, though scotched, the snake was not 

 killed, and Frank said within himself, "If I am not 

 permitted to breed him, I am determined to have a race- 

 horse, before I am much older." 



Now, as it has been my desire to draw a portrait of Frank 

 Raby in his own true character one which, on the whole, 

 does honour to our nature I must endeavour not only 

 to account for, but to smooth down this too apparent 

 disregard of the wishes of a kind and indulgent parent. 

 The real truth, then, is this, startling as it may appear : 



