PUCHASING HOESES. 147 



his nag to a fixture : here is another Uttle specimen 

 of affectation for you." 



•* This does not seem in character with the usual 

 idea of a sportsman," said Suppliant. 



" Granted ; but all men who ride the best of 

 horses, all crack riders, and, between ourselves, all 

 Leicestershire men are not sportsmen, though they 

 enjoy the prestige of being so.. Ask Osbaldeston if 

 I am far astray in saying so." 



*^ Then where," modestly said the young one with 

 a smile, " would you recommend the great under- 

 taking of my debvLt to be commenced ?" 



" I should recommend you, for a season at least, 

 to hunt in Surrey, Hertfordshire, or Essex ; in fact, 

 I should advise your hunting in each. The first will 

 teach you the best way of getting up and down hills ; 

 the second will teach you to be attentive to hounds ;, 

 for unless you are, you will find them slip off with a 

 fox, and here are no pastures of a hundred acres suc- 

 ceeding each other, so as to enable you to see hounds 

 though they may be a mile ahead, and induce you to 

 try the very, very uncertain feat of catching them. 



L 2 



