SUBSEQUENT REVERSES. 127 



left Danebury that Lord George could be induced to 

 settle his account, which heretofore was always paid 

 with business-like promptitude. Everything before so 

 correct, was now stated to be wrong, and most of 

 the items challenged, though they differed in nothing 

 from former accounts. Among these was disputed 

 the charge of one guinea for the boys riding in trials, 

 on the ground, he said, that the then Duke of Rich- 

 mond only paid his boys five shillings each for ridinc 

 in trials ; yet other trainers charged the regulation 

 price of two guineas. Many other items even of a 

 more trivial nature formed the subject of a fierce and 

 prolonged dispute ; but in the end his lordship had 

 to pay the account as it was delivered, and the cost 

 of a heavy lawsuit into the bargain ; which can 

 scarcely be regarded as a clever performance on his 

 part. 



As to the. reasons for his leaving Danebury, I think 

 I have pretty conclusively shown the actual facts. 

 And how strange it is to find that the man who 

 devoted the whole of his energy in the latter part of 

 his life to ruin another, should by that very action 

 have ruined himself. But it is true. For it will be 

 quite easy to show that it was the first step to the 

 bitter disappointment which drove him distracted 

 from the turf altogether. It was said, and widely 

 believed, that he gave up racing in order to have 

 more leisure for the earnest prosecution of his Parlia- 

 mentary duties. If it were so, it should be recorded 



