328 HABITS OF LORD GEORGE BENTINCK. 



and spent so much of his time there, inspecting his 

 horses and entering into the minutest details, that 

 it was hardly possible for my father or myself to 

 pay him as much attention as we could have 

 wished. We had many other pressing duties to 

 discharge, and were constantly compelled to apolo- 

 gise to him for our frequent absences. He always 

 replied, " Do not mind me ; I can amuse and occupy 

 myself in a dozen ways." Sometimes he would 

 remain a great length of time in the box with some 

 favourite horse, watching every movement, and 

 ending by patting and caressing him or her. If he 

 happened to be present at feeding-time, he would 

 take the greatest interest in their various appetites, 

 and loved to see them enjoying their food. Nothing 

 could exceed the pleasure taken by Lord George in 

 his extensive racing establishment ; and although 

 he frequently passed hours in and about the stable 

 unattended by my father or myself, it never came 

 to our knowledge that he applied to a servant or a 

 lad for information on any subject. I cannot say 

 as much for some other professed gentlemen whom 

 I knew too well. 



It is impossible that any one could ever have 

 cared less for money than Lord George did. At 

 the same time, he was far too clear-sighted and 

 too practical to allow any one to wrong him long. 

 In these matters Lord George realised the descrip- 

 tion given of him by Mr Disraeli, when he says : 

 " Lord George valued the acquisition of money on 



