40 PEECEPT AND PKACTICE. 



plied, knowing as he did that it was in the power of 

 the men to injure the sale of the horses a good deal, 

 though they could do little or nothing in furtherance 

 of it ; but, if he did not think the five shillings mis- 

 applied, he knew the assurance of their being " nice 

 horses" was, and the foreman knew so too, which 

 accounts for the smile of our friend, with its plebeian 

 meaning. 



The morning of sale, namely the next day, came, 

 the horses were brought out at an hour most favour- 

 able to them. The auctioneer did them all the 

 justice in his power ; and though he indulged in 

 terms unusual at the West End, and at variance with 

 those the sporting world are accustomed to hear, as 

 the sporting world were not there, and would not 

 purchase these horses had they been so, it mattered 

 little. 



Got rid of they were — " given away," as their 

 master thought — " d — d well sold,'* as the friend said, 



" Three hundred pounds," thought our hero to 

 himself, " for what cost me eight or thereabouts !'* 



But even that sacrifice was not the extent of the 



