314 ROBERT S. SURTEES 



chance is a Jewish rogue, Sir Harry Scatter- 

 east a sot, Sir Archy Depecarde a leg, and so 

 on. But if Surtees could not depict a 

 gentleman with a tide, who could better 

 draw one when he wished — without — as 

 witness Stanley Sterling of Rosemount, or 

 Jovey Jessop of Appleton Hall. But it 

 must be admitted a lady was beyond him. 

 Belinda Jorrocks was perhaps the nearest he 

 got, but she is quite colourless — a mere out- 

 line. His notion of women was that their 

 one idea was to capture a husband, and in the 

 book [P/ain 07^ Ri7iglets) that is most con- 

 cerned with the adventures of one, we leave 

 the heroine with no regret ; indeed, our author 

 rather congratulates Bunting on having 

 escaped the noose. It must be admitted 

 that we should neither choose one of Surtees' 

 noblemen for a friend, nor one of his women- 



