242 SALE OF LORD GEORGE's STUD. 



you give me £10,000 for all my lot, beginning 

 with old Bay Middleton and ending with little 

 Kitchener, and take them with all their engage- 

 ments and responsibilities off my hands ? " Mr 

 George Payne immediately replied, "If you will 

 give me till to-morrow at noon, Bentinck, to con- 

 sider the matter, I will either accept your offer 

 or will pay you down £300 if I decline it." 

 " Agreed," said Lord George, quietly ; and upon 

 that Mr Payne sat down by his Lordship's side, 

 and they entered into a long sotto voce conversa- 

 tion with each other. Mr Payne remarked that 

 his own trainer, Montgomery Dilly, was not equal 

 to the task of training so many hoi'ses, and presid- 

 ing over such a monster establishment, and there- 

 fore he asked Lord Georg-e to advise him what to 

 do in case a bargain was concluded between them. 

 His Lordship was pleased to advise Mr Payne to 

 engage me to train the horses and to manage the 

 stud ; adding that, from my long experience in 

 connection with the Goodwood stable, I knew the 

 horses and their dispositions thoroughly, and was 

 better qualified than any other man to undertake 

 the business. Thereupon Mr Payne sent for me 

 immediately, and from him I learned for the first 

 time that Lord George had resolved to quit the 

 Turf. Knowing his Lordship's inflexibility and 

 the iron firmness of his character, I was well 

 aware that it was useless for me, or for any one 

 else, to attempt to turn him from his purpose. 



