192 JERRY 



to take advantage of the light in Avhich he held me, I 

 never could come up to the bland and polite familiarity 

 of a noted frequenter of the turf, whose dress and appear- 

 ance were more odd than attractive. His ostensible 

 avocation seemed to be that of a dealer in cards ; in 

 ignorance of his proper name I must call him Jerry. This 

 well-known character, who might be seen at the end of 

 the day laying his length on a waggon in a state of utter 

 forgetfulness, apparently Avatched our arrival ; on our 

 pulling up on the crowded downs he would advance 

 towards us Avith an air of affected good breeding ; and, 



addressing one noble lord, Avould say, " Ah, G , how 



are you?" To another, "Alfred, my dear boy, how do 

 you do ? " 



To such kind inquiries answers were returned that 

 implied pleasure rather than anger at the recognition, or 

 at the fellow's display of fraternity, for generally all dis- 

 tinctions were drowned in a glass of sherry, or some more 

 choice beverage, proffered by my friend the Squire, with 

 a hearty laugh at Jerry's nonchalance. 



In the hunting-season I Avas noAv and then sent for — I 

 Avill not say invited — to the hospitable mansion of the 

 father ; and Avas ahvays sure of a mount, Avhen the dream 

 of former days Avould come back on me Avith vivid recol- 

 lection. On one occasion I Avas to stop a Aveek, as there 

 Avere to be some grand festiA^ties. Accordingly, finding 

 a deputy, in which I had no difficulty, I Avent doAvn on 

 the Monday, and a young farmer Avhom I knew took me 

 to his house in the same village, A\^here I slept. In the 

 morning the carriage, with the servant and groom, came to 

 take me to the hall, about a mile distant, to breakfast. I 



