204 A DEEP ROGUE. 



a few miles from town, to which was attached a hay- 

 farm. My Lord was requested to allow this gentle- 

 man to supply what hay was wanted for his stables, 

 which request was immediately granted. The coach- 

 man offered no opposition ostensibly to this arrange- 

 ment, and the hay that was sent in was as good as 

 hay could be : but somehow the horses did not eat it, 

 and consequently lost condition. This became appa- 

 rent to Lord A. , and the coachman was ordered up 

 to account for it. He at once allowed the horses 

 did not look as they did, and accounted for it by 

 roundly asserting that they would not touch the hay 

 lately sent in : they had always done well on the hay 

 they had before; but this hay eat they would not. 

 Notwithstanding this very satisfactory explanation, 

 some suspicion arose in his Lordship's mind that 

 there was something not quite right at the bottom of 

 this. The coachman was told he might go, and some 

 alteration should be made. Now Coachee thought 

 any alteration would be better than that hay should 

 be sent without his being well paid for it. He confi- 

 dently felt he had played his part in the farce so well 

 that the denouement must be the discomfiture of his 

 enemy, and his own triumph. A flourish of trumpets 

 exit coachman. Unfortunately for him, however, 

 the next scene was of a very different cast. The 

 gentleman, who was the promoter of the hay, being 

 sent, called, when a little consultation took place on 

 the subject. The gentleman went immediately to 

 the stables, and there, sure enough, saw the racks full 

 of hay, but not a single horse eating. The coachman 

 pulled out a piece, and certainly the odour was any- 

 thing but such as to tempt a horse accustomed to 

 good hay. So far all was well, and the coachman 



