A CUSTOMER WHO WON'T BE SHAVED. 269 



as quiet as a lamb, he is a high-couraged horse, and 

 'tisn't every man can ride him as you can." (Shilling 

 the third.) Tom sees the purse closing, so, finding 

 soap will do no more, he touches his hat again; in 

 goes the money into his pocket ; in goes his tongue 

 into one cheek ; and then in goes Tom with two or 

 three companions to the public-house, takes something 

 short, and then goes to see what is to be done with 

 the other customer, about whom he makes inquiry 

 something in this way : " I say, Jem, which way did 

 that covey go with t'other horse ? Oh, here he 

 comes ; he's a wide-awake chap that : I'll pound him ; 

 soap won't do with he." 



We left this covey, as Tom in his aristocratic 

 language termed him, taking a cursory look at the 

 horse. I may be asked why he takes only a cursory 

 look at him ? For a very different reason from that 

 which induced Muff to do the same thing : he only in 

 this stage of the business does this to see how he 

 likes his general appearance, for it would be useless to 

 take the trouble to minutely examine a horse (a thing 

 not to be done in a minute), and then find, on seeing 

 him move, that he had no more action than a three- 

 legged stool. After therefore having ascertained from 

 his general appearance whether he quite likes it or 

 not, he sees him run: if he likes it, he does so to 

 ascertain whether his action corresponds with his 

 looks : if it does not, he saves all trouble by ordering 

 him in. This order Tom knows it is useless to hesi- 

 tate in obeying, for, as he says, soap persuasion is of 

 no use here. If this purchaser should not like much 

 the looks of the nag, he orders him to be moved, that 

 he may ascertain whether his action is such as to 

 make amends for his want of appearance. For this, he 



