BETTER KNOWN THAN TRUSTED. 83 



" I assui'e you/' said my friend, " he Avas very 

 highly recommended to me." 



^' May I ask by whom ?" said I. 



'^ By Mr. 's stud groom/' replied my 



friend. 



" I have not/' said I, " the advantage of any 

 personal acquaintance with the gentleman you 

 mention, hut being tolerably well acquainted with 

 the character and habits of most known sporting 

 men, I can only tell you I would not trust the 

 gentleman himself in my stable, much less a man 

 of his." 



" You sm-prise me," said my friend. 



" Yes," said I, '^ and the gentleman in question 

 has surprised a good many till they knew him." 



" But," added my friend, " Forester has lived 

 with several noblemen." 



" Who," said I, " finding him so fine a gentle- 

 man, considered it a pity to keep him in the situ- 

 ation of a servant ; at all events, if he has served 

 so many he cannot have served any long : but we 

 will not prejudge the man from his appearance, 

 which being so superior, may I ask the extent of 

 your stud, which, I should say, ought to be large 

 to require a superintendent that, I should imagine, 

 does not value his pretensions at a lower rate 

 than they merit ? " 



" I have only five," said my friend, " in my 

 hunting stable ; I give Forester a hundred a-year, 

 o 2 



