154 THE POCKET AND THE STUD. 



and without making a stud-groom of herself : but, 

 as I said from the beginning, she could not do 



this without the Mr. ; and I know some 



gentlemen to whom he would be all but as great 

 an acquisition as to the lady, though perhaps it 

 would be difficult to persuade them that such is 

 the case. They do without him, it is true, con- 

 sequently they pay for it. 



If a man is positively determined, right or 

 wrong, to go his own way to work, of course he 

 must do so, and he will find, independently of his 

 stud being badly done by on that account, the 

 eifect of his giving improper or injudicious di- 

 rections will be that he will get no servant to live 

 with him that is fit to go into a stable. A good 

 ordinary strapper would not live in his service ; 

 for I must say this for stablemen — there are 

 many that would in certain ways ill-use, neglect, 

 and impose on their master, but would not allow 

 their horses to be treated in the same way. I 

 had a carter, the most confounded thief in the 

 world, where anything for his horses was to be 

 got at, and his ingenuity in many ways was first- 

 rate. For instance : 



He had been seen several times bringing a sack 

 with something in it from under the granary, which 

 stood on stone staddles. No notice had been 

 taken, supposing it was something he had put 

 there for a temporary period out of the way; 



