266 The PytcJiley Htmt, Past and Pi^esent, 



neighbourliood after her owner had quitted it, was long 

 looked upon as an object of interest as having once 

 belonged to the author of ^^ General Bounce " and ^^ Digby 

 Grand/^ Many of his horseswere notof the ^'"confidential^' 

 sort j and if asked how many animals he was master of 

 this season, a favourite reply with him was, ^' Not one ; 

 but I have four brutes in the stable that are masters of 

 me." 



With a fine temper, nice hands, and a sympathy 

 between himself and his horse that rarely has been 

 equalled, he never irritated the animal he was riding by 

 jagging its mouth or knocking it about the head with 

 his ^^ crop,'' after the manner of some, but would coax it 

 into more seemly behaviour by addressing it in terms on 

 the lines of, "Are you not a horse and a brother?" 

 Jealous with the jealousy of a wholesome ambition, he 

 cared not to go where others had gone before, preferring a 

 line of his own, and on being overtaken one day by afriend 

 he hoped he had just pounded, he said with a beaming 

 smile, *^ I thought I had you in that corner, old chap, but 

 I see that I have no right to my risus in ancjuloP Always 

 quick to see the ludicrous side of anything, and full of 

 anecdote, happy the man who had George Melville for 

 his companion on the homeward ride after a day's hunt- 

 ing. It was easy to draw him out on the events of his 

 bachelor-days, their vicissitudes, excitement, and extrava- 

 gancies ; and the usual moral he drew from his own 

 experiences was, "What d — d fools men are." Scenes 

 at Crockford's and other haunts of the gamblesome, 

 card-loving club-man, coloured by his rich fancy, and 

 told in words of the happiest choice, derived an interest 

 which very few besides himself could have imparted to 



