A DESPERATE MAN. 159 



" King Pippin is at the door, sir." 



'* What !" said the old gentleman, looking up from his 

 hreakfast with an air of well-assumed surprise, and the 

 sneer " continued,'^ as the magazine men say. '' What ! 

 a horse that did such a terrible hard day's work on the 

 Wednesday, to come again on the Friday ?" 



Sister Mary and Miss Merton " giggled " — the most 

 horrible thing any young woman can do. 



We fancy a hunter never shows to better advantage 

 than when your man is walking him quietly up and down 

 before the hall-door, ready for ^' Master," who is going 

 to ride him himself to a handy fixture. Look at the 

 brown horse now, how his coat shines, and the condition 

 tells through it ! What an air of coolness, resolution, 

 and " up to his business " there is in that long* careless 

 walk ! How the well-made saddle and broad rein, single 

 snaffle too, set him off ! Isn't there a proud pleasure and 

 a good performance foretold in the very look of him ? If 

 we were a horse, that's just the time and place we would 

 choose to have our portrait taken ; or, if we were a horse- 

 painter, that's just the time and place we would take 

 it at. 



It is a happy time altogether, that, to the man '' who 

 loves as he rides away " — when " the Missis " brings the 

 youngest pet out to the door to " bye-bye " Papa j or, 

 in case of uncoupled yet, when the blue eyes come to the 

 drawing-room window, to smile you another " good-luck " 

 as you look round for it. 



Master Georgy didn't look round for what he wouldn't 

 get, but went off with as little eclat as a bottle of bad 

 soda-water. 



'' Hang the Major — the hounds — the hunting ! Hang 

 the little vixen, who " — no, stop. By the God of War ! 



