IF YOU PLAY WITH A CAT BEWARE OF HER CLAWS. 343 



the horses of vahie, or at least a great part of them 

 likely to be there. Here he is useful, for he saves the 

 dealer trouble and time, and can probably give him 

 the history of many he looks at. Here he does not 

 make it a sine qua non to be paid by both parties, 

 thouo'h in most cases he contrives to be so : for the 

 dealer buying a number makes the day's work a good 

 one to Meddler, supposing he only got what he gives 

 him, and he would be afraid to play tricks with this 

 employer ; for though this dealer not having suffered 

 at home by Mr. Meddler's interference, is very good 

 friends with him, and treats him to his dinner and 

 bottle of wine, he knows how to appreciate him, and 

 mostly uses him as a useful tool that he knows dare 

 not turn its edge on him. 



At Repositories and public auctions Meddler is again 

 met. To a repository he is a positive curse, for the 

 owner of it must either pay him, or he will indiscri- 

 minately abuse every horse there ^ for these of all places 

 Meddler detests the most. The dealer is culpable 

 enough in his eyes for presuming to sell a certain 

 numlber of horses without him : what then must be 

 his absolute loathing of a place where such numbers 

 are sold without him? He hates its very w^alls; he 

 knows he cannot be always paid here, for it would 

 look rather odd to any person, on being paid for a 

 horse sold there, to find, in addition to the regular 

 commission, an item, "Paid Mr. Meddler 21. com- 

 mission." The customer might be uncourteous enough 

 to say, "Who the devil is Mr Meddler ?" The owner 

 of the Repository might feelingly enough say, " AA' hy, 

 he is the devil : " but I do not think this would satisfy 

 the customer. We shall, I am sorry to say, have 

 occasion to mention IMr. Meddler again, as I now 



z 4 



