A LEVEE AT NEWMARKET. 455 



friends on our victory. The names of some who 

 were then present I now forget, and many of them 

 have passed away. I remember, however, that my 

 excellent partner took the chair, as a matter of right 

 rather than of courtesy, and kept us all alive through- 

 out the evening with his good humour and wit. 

 Tom Smith, too, was there; but not in the most 

 exuberant spirits — for it appears he had won more 

 money that day than he was afraid he should receive 

 the next, through judiciously selecting a man to bet 

 with in the front of the rooms whom he had never 

 seen before, and not even having thought it worth 

 while to ask his name. But he had not lost, and that 

 was some comfort ; and after a few glasses of grog — 

 for he was not at all particular as to the number of 

 them, if they were only hot and strong — he became 

 mirthful, and sang us, ' With thee, my bark, I'll swiftly 

 fly across the foaming main,' thinking, perhaps, that 

 the man he had betted with might be going in the 

 same direction. So effective in restoring his good 

 spirits were a fresh cigar and a replenished glass, 

 that he had even the audacity to call upon the chair- 

 man for a toast, only, however, to be told not to be 

 in a hurry. For Mr. Robinson had no idea that the 

 cart should be put before the horse ; but preferred to 

 open the business of the evening in his own way by 

 pointing out, in a short simple speech, that we had 

 gathered together for the purpose of enjoying our- 

 selves, and proposing that the recalcitrants should be 



