THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 209 



In a very few minutes the door of the room was opened, 

 and a tall, thin, unhealthy-looking person in black, with 

 a well-powdered head, walked in, with our hero's card 

 in his hand, and was, of course, very polite to his guest. 



"You are punctual, Mr. Raby," said he; "I like to 

 have to do with persons who are punctual." 



" But where is Mr. Sharpe *? " inquired Frank. 



"Why I think he will soon be here, accompanied by 

 a gentleman whose name and object you have been ac- 

 quainted with," resumed Mr. Longbottom. " But you know, 

 sir, lawyers like Mr. Sharpe, in a large way, cannot always 

 command their own time. Pray, Mr. Raby, be seated." 



" Thank ye," replied Frank Raby ; " but I wish to 

 have another look at your pictures. I admire this, much," 

 pointing to an historical piece of very large dimensions. 



" That is a chef d'ceuvre," said his host ; " I gave 3000 

 guineas for that picture, in Rome." 



' And this," resumed our hero. 



' A Correggio," said Longbottom. 



' And this, how beautiful ! " 



' You show your taste, Mr. Raby ; that picture is yours." 



1 Mine ! ! ! " 



' Yes, yours ; that is to say, merely nominally so. 

 General Jervis, now at the Bedford Hotel, in Covent 

 Garden, is to give you 700 guineas ; and a gentleman of 

 the name of Crow will also give you 300 for that exquisite 

 ' Holy Family,' by Le Brun, which will just make up 

 1000 guineas of the money." 



On hearing this our hero smelt a rat ; and, taking out 

 his watch, thus addressed Mr. Longbottom : 



" By the way, Mr. Longbottom, I want to leave my 

 card on a friend who lives in the square, and by the 

 time I return, no doubt Mr. Sharpe and Mr. Thornton 

 will be here. So good morning, for the present." 



The bell was rung ; the door opened by the foot- 

 man ; and exit Frank Raby, with these words in his 

 mouth : 



" If old Sharpe's head never aches till I meet him at 

 this fellow's house, he will have a good time of it." 



But what was to be done with Mr. Thornton, whom 

 our hero could not think of thus leaving in the lurch ? 

 Luckily for both parties, he saw him at the other end 

 of the street, and told him what had passed about the 

 pictures. 



14 



