74 'THE DANEBURY CONFEDERACY.' 



customers, or they would soon have none to deal 

 with. 



From betting, and his other curious transactions on 

 the turf, Harry Hill soon amassed a princely fortune, 

 the whole of which, miser-like as he was, he did not 

 retain to the end. He was always to be seen in the 

 evening at the Coach and Horses, Dover Street, 

 Piccadilly, not in the most select company. He was 

 slovenly in his dress, wearing a faded black suit that 

 appeared to have been made for his grandfather, so ill 

 it fitted him. He was not particular as to cleanliness, 

 and his hard features were too surely an index of the 

 working of his mind. His conversation was licentious 

 and vulgar ; though I do not doubt that he himself 

 may have esteemed his vile wit the essence of clever- 

 ness. ' Indebted to his memory for his wit, and to 

 his imagination for his facts,' he would crack his sides 

 with laughter at his own personal and ill-timed gibes, 

 not being ashamed to utter what others would blush 

 to hear. 



' Fate never wounds more deep the gen'rous heart 

 Than when a blockhead insult points the dart.' 



In spite of lack of education and a dense ignorance 

 of most things, he had common-sense in the knowledge 

 of how to look after his money. Yet, like others 

 more deserving, he had his reverses. His heaviest 

 loss was in the St. Leger, in West Australians year, 

 when Frank Butler was carpeted before Colonel 

 Anson and Mr. Bowes, and told his fate if he did 



