86 LADIES ON HOKSEBACK. 



bound to send your horse from the yard looking" 

 shiny, and sleek, and clean. Any deviation 

 from this would at once attract your attention^ 

 and arouse your displeasure. The groom knows 

 this, and acts accordingly ; but he also knows 

 what you do not — ^that one of the shoes is 

 three-parts loose ; it will probably hold very 

 well until you begin to go, and then it will 

 drop off and leave you in a fix, perhaps mile& 

 away from a village where the damage could 

 be repaired. The groom knew all about it, 

 very likely, the day before, but he saw that 

 you were not troubling yourseK, and why 

 should he ? you never made any inquiry about 

 such matters, nor seemed to interest yourself 

 in them, and why should he be troubled 

 concerning them ? A loose shoe is nothing^ 

 to him : it does not cause him any incon- 

 venience, not it; then why worry himself? 

 He does not want to bring the horse down to- 

 the forge through mud and rain, and stand 

 there awaiting the smith's convenience ; not 

 a bit of it. He is much more comfortable 

 lolling against the stable-door and smoking a 

 pipe with Tom, Dick, or Harry. 



