266 SALE OF LORD GEORGE's STUD. 



that both horses were going on as well as possible, 

 and that I was more than ever confident as to the 

 correctness of my opinion that Surplice was far 

 and away the better of the two. His Lordship 

 was good enough to write me a most encouraging 

 letter, in which he stated that he was perfectly 

 satisfied with what I had told him, as he had 

 never known me to be mistaken in an opinion 

 which I had formed after deep consideration. Lord 

 Henry Lennox could not support the strain, but 

 brought me his betting-book, which he left in my 

 hands, with the avowal that he was going abroad 

 until the Derby was over, as he was too nervous 

 and agitated to remain in England any longer. 

 He told me to do the best for him that I could, 

 and as I had induced him to back Surplice, to get 

 him out of the difficulty by hedging the money, if 

 it could possibly be done. 



Naturally, my position was far from being an 

 enviable one. I knew that if I attempted to save 

 the money Lord Henry had invested on Surplice, 

 those who had laid him the odds would not hedge, 

 in face of the false market established by Mr 

 Villiers, except upon terms very disadvantageous 

 to Lord Henry. At that moment Surplice was 

 very much out of favour, and no wonder, when it 

 is remembered that, not satisfied with backing 

 Loadstone for very large sums, Mr Villiers had 

 several commissioners at work laying against 

 Surplice. In my dilemma I sought the advice of 



