356 DOING THINGS COMFORTABLY. 



beginning of " slaying the innocents." The horse 

 being put up, groom gets half-a-crown to get his 

 glass of brandy- and- water after his journey ; so he is 

 made comfortable, as well as his horse : and as by 

 this time the nagsman and he have become acquainted, 

 he goes to make himself comfortable also ; and while 

 they are doing this, nagsman (who does not want to 

 be told his business,) sucks the groom's brains, 

 and learns all he knows about the horse, and any 

 others in his master's stable. There is then a con- 

 siderable shaking of hands, groom takes his saddle on 

 his back, goes off by coach, and the horse is left like a 

 boy at school, the difference being, however, that the 

 boy often learns very little, whereas the horse will 

 learn a good deal : the master also (if not in the higher 

 branches of education) will get a lesson so far as 

 pounds, shillings, and pence go. The groom, on 

 going home, represents all this, and Mr. Nickem's 

 having ordered him into a " capital box after his jour- 

 ney." The master is of course pleased with this. " It 

 was very careful and attentive of Mr. Nickem ! " Very ! 

 The coast being now clear, the next morning, before 

 any customer comes in, Nickem has the horse out, 

 sees his paces, examines him minutely as to soundness, 

 and gets the nagsman on him ; if a hunting-like horse, 

 or represented as one, sees him over a fence or two, 

 and the bar, and also in his gallop : if he is stated 

 to be a harness-horse, he sees him in that : if he 

 is not so represented, but he considers as a harness- 

 horse he would sell well, he has him carefully tried. 

 Even his behaviour while the harness is being put 

 on will show to an experienced eye how far he is 

 likely to go quiet : if he seems good-tempered, he is just 

 put into a break; a hundred yards suffices : Nickem now 



