THE DEALER. 121 



good qualities a little too brightly, and it would not be 

 correct to call him a cheap horse. To haggle \vith 

 Scratton is, however, impossible. You would lower 

 your own dignity, destroy the agreeable spirit of the 

 intercourse which has existed between you, hurt his 

 feelings, and not abate his price. Indeed, he would 

 not haggle, I am sure, though I do not speak from 

 experience. 



He mentions the price of his horse, and you can take 

 it or leave it, as you please. He does not puff his 

 animals, though he may take the opportunity of drawing 

 your attention to the manner in which they are going 

 in the field with his servants on their backs ; which is 

 a perfectly legitimate proceeding. The fact of a horse 

 being in his stable is supposed to stamp it as sound 

 and serviceable, and just a little out of the common. 

 He does not, of course, depreciate his horses, and if you 

 ask straightforward questions he gives straightforward 

 answers : if he seemed to say a little too much in favour 

 of my grey, it was because 1 inquired into details. 



He does not sell unsound horses — one simple reason 

 being that it would not pay him to do so. If I wanted 

 another horse I should go to Scratton, and the man who 

 wants a wife and succeeds in persuading Scratton's 

 daughter to accept the position, will, I should imagine, 

 marry a very good girl with a substantial dowry. 



