THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 205 



Dauntley ; " but, as your father cannot be fifty, you will 

 have to pay a heavy bonus." 



"Yes, but there is my uncle, also," replied our hero. 

 " Goodall says the contingency may be made to embrace 

 my expectations from him." 



"I doubt it," said his Lordship. "However, if you do* 

 not succeed in the city, you know where to come ; at all 

 events, do not conclude the bargain without informing me 

 of the nature of it." 



At the appointed hour Goodall met our hero at Limmer's, 

 and getting into a dirty hackney coach, proceeded to the 

 city on an equally dirty business, and in due time arrived 

 at the residence of Mr. Sharpe, a member of the honour- 

 able profession of money - scriveners. On their names 

 being announced to him, they were shown into the dining- 

 room, where Mr. Sharpe almost immediately made his 

 appearance, that part of his premises, as he himself said, 

 being better fitted than the "office" for gentlemen who 

 came to him " on matters of a delicate nature." He was 

 a middle-aged man, respectable in his appearance, possess- 

 ing a quick eye, and altogether a very intelligent counten- 

 ance. We will once more have recourse to the dialogical 

 form, in describing this interview. 



" Good morning to ye, gentlemen," said Mr. Sharpe (on 

 making his appearance) : " Mr. Goodall, I believe." 



" The same, sir," replied Goodall. 



" Then I presume," continued Mr. Sharpe, " this gentle- 

 man (bowing to our hero) is Mr. Raby. I beg, gentlemen, 

 you will be seated." 



"My friend Mr. Raby, sir," said Goodall, "is in want 

 of some temporary assistance, and having been recom- 

 mended to you by my friend Mr. Thornton, I have reason 

 to believe you will render it to him upon fair and honour- 

 able terms." 



" Sir," said Mr. Sharpe, smirking a bow, " you pay me 

 a compliment ; but this I may say of myself, that, from 

 my very extensive pecuniary connections in this great 

 town, I have the means of rendering gentlemen accom- 

 modation to an extent not within the reach of I think I 

 may say any other man. But pray, sir, let me ask you, 

 is your friend a son of Mr. Raby, of Amstead Abbey ? " 



" He is," replied Goodall. 



"Then," resumed Mr. Sharpe, "there will be no diffi- 

 culty in this case. I foreclosed a mortgage last year, on a 



