450 " A HORSE, A HORSE, MY KINGDOM FOR A HORSE." 



The prayers of the wicked are sometimes heard : I 

 prayed for a chance to return all favours to Monsieur 

 le , and it came. 



I learned that his lady had taken a mania for 

 riding en Amazon^ and that her lord and master would 

 give any price for a perfectly broke English horse 

 accustomed to carry a lady. 



Just before I left England a very beautiful horse 

 that had been carrying a friend of my wife's had un- 

 fortunately gone badly broken- winded, so much so as to 

 be useless. I started my groom off for this said horse, 

 and he brought him back in blooming condition, and 

 looking worth as much as any lady's horse could be, 

 and only six years old. I got the daughter of a friend 

 of mine, a girl nine years of age, to ride him about the 

 town, taking care he should be seen by the lady and 

 her good lord. The beauty, and docility of the horse 

 in carrying a mere child, could not be resisted, so a 

 note arrived filled with apologies for asking if I would 

 sell " le beau cheval," in which case I was begged to 

 name a price, and to pass my word that he was as 

 docile as he appeared. Monsieur would only ask 

 leave for a friend to look at him in the stable, who 

 would bring the " argent comptant.''^ I replied by 

 saying I would sell the horse, that on my honour he 

 was " doux comme un agneau," a hundred and fifty 

 napoleons his price, and that Monsieur's friend was 

 quite welcome to see him, assuring Monsieur " de ma 

 parfaite consideration," &c. &c. Yes, thinks I to 

 myself, you are welcome to 7na p}cirfaite consideratio?i ; 

 but I suspect you will not get much consideration for 

 your hundred and fifty. I have the " II faut qu'il 

 Vapprenne'^ fresh in my memory — cliacun a son tour ! 

 T have not spent so much money about horses without 



