2 72 In Scarlet and Silk 



Marble Arch and traversing the Edgware Road 

 in the direction of Mr. Nemo's neat little 

 establishment, where " over thirty horses 

 always fit to go " may be inspected, ridden, 

 and " larked." 



Since the time of Soapy Sponge and Mr. 

 Benjamin Buckram these places have under- 

 gone vast changes, all, I am delighted to say, 

 for the better. There is, as a general rule, 

 no need for a secret code of signals 'twixt 

 master and man relating to the removal of 

 bandages and swabs, the "stirring up" of 

 " wrong 'uns," and turning round in the stalls 

 of crib-biters, so as to hide their crimes com- 

 mitted on the mangers. Of course, there are 

 still plenty of places where these and other 

 little and big deceptions are daily practised; 

 but for the purposes of this chapter we will 

 treat only of the fairly '' straight " establish- 

 ments. 



We ring the small brass-handled bell at the 

 " office," and are at once admitted into a room 

 about the size of the interior of a brougham. 

 The walls record, not " in storied urn," but in 



