PUFFY DODDLES "A MUFF." 93 



by liis superiors, equals, and inferiors, was avoided, without the 

 smallest attempt being made to save appearances. The cut 

 direct, and in its most positive form, was given to Robert Top's 

 best lad. The hardest possible names were applied to him as 

 descriptive of his attributes, and among them he frequently 

 understood that he was held in the estimation of "a muff." 

 To that depth, to which there appeared no lower, had Puffy 

 Doddles sunk in the affections of his friends and admirers, that 

 he often was informed that the only testimonial they were 

 either ready or willing to present to him. was a limited number 

 of inches of hempen twist for the direct purpose of hanging 

 himself. No one had a word to offer in extenuation for the 

 error he had committed, and even his self-reproach, admission, 

 confession, and penitence seemed in no way to mitigate the 

 acrimony of his accusers. Not a thought was bestowed upon 

 the perfection of jockeyship displayed by him in carrying the 

 wasp-like colours to the front in the Great St. Leger, or the 

 incessant care and heartfelt interest he took in the horse he 

 loved almost to devotion. The fault alone was remembered. 

 He had lost the Grand Duke Michael Stakes. 



To-morrow, however, succeeded yesterday, in the* well-timed 

 order of the earth's revolutions upon her own axis, day followed 

 day, and the omissions and commissions of others, erroneous, 

 wise, and otherwise, began to engross attention. Time — the 

 curer of all evils — lightened the load of Puffy's sorrows, and he 

 even commenced the belief that he should reject the offer of 

 exchanging his surname of Doddles with that of a departed 

 criminal. When nobody was near, it may also be mentioned, 

 as a proof that his spirits were again slightly in the ascendant, 

 that he might be heard to whistle at his work, in a subdued 

 tone, that favourite air, " Of all the girls that are so sweet," 

 Sally being the heroine. In short, his fault of the past began 

 to be forgotten in the fulness of time, and was more vividly 

 remembered, perhaps, by himself, and with more bitter associa- 

 tions, than by the most unfortunate of Sunshine's supporters. 



