CHAPTER XL 



mr. parker (continued). 



Joins his uncle in London — ' The pace that kills ' — Evenings at 

 Owen Swift's — Buying a watch — Skill with the gloves — London 

 ' life ' as it was — A good stock — Excellent judgment of racing 

 — An objection sustained — Jockeys and amateurs — Nearly 

 ' done ' by a welsher — An instance of enforced restitution — ■ 

 His belief in condition — Analogy from dog-training — Fights 

 between ' Pincher ' and ' Bullet ' — Admiral Rous on Cedric's 

 condition — Mr. Parker's belief in 'Farce,' and our parting — 

 His life in retirement. 



I now propose, as I promised, to relate something 

 about Mr. Parker personally. He was, as I have said, 

 the son of Mr. Parker, of Aldford, near Churton, 

 Cheshire, a large dairy and stock farmer, under the 

 then Marquis of Westminster. The son, Joseph, not 

 caring for country life, came early to London, where 

 he lived many years with his uncle, at No. 8, Lower 

 John Street, Golden Square ; and on the death of that 

 relative succeeded to the business, which he carried 

 on profitably. He worked at it indefatigably indeed, 

 being seldom in bed after five o'clock in the morn- 

 ing, having to be at his wharf with his men at 

 half-past. 



