A TROT, AXD A DINNER PARTY. 63 



traces and harness so light, without hreechings, crup- 

 peis, bearing-reins or blinkers, and fitted Vith Dutch 

 collars crossing their breasts, instead of the usual 

 heavy collars, that the Meltonians looked at with won- 

 dering eyes, perhaps expecting to see it go to pieces 

 like cobwebs at the first stroke of the horses, was an 

 ordinary light trotting wagon, with wheel-spokes about 

 as thick as ordinary walking-sticks, and every thing 

 corresponding thereto in style and finish. And so 

 fragile and toy-like did the whole apparatus show in 

 eyes accustomed to the solid and massive finish of 

 English carriage-builders, that gallant as he was in 

 all senses of the word, and thoroughly acquainted with 

 horsemanship and coaching in all its various branches, 

 the Duke of Beaufort paused one moment, and re- 

 garded it with a distrustful eye before he made up his 

 mind to trust his goodly sixteen stone to its slender 

 springs, thin spokes, and tray-like body. 



"Never fear, duke," said Fairfax, who had already 

 taken the soft white hand-pieces of the trotting reins 

 into his hands, with a gay smile, "it has carried a 

 much heavier weight than we two, and that, too, over 

 a much rougher ground than we are like to cross to- 

 day. Why our trotting courses are rough to your 

 Macadamized turnpikes, though they are not so hard 

 upon our horses' feet, that must be admitted ; and as 

 for our best roads, with a few far between exceptions, 

 they would make a sorry show beside the worst of 

 your lanes and bye-roads." 



" Oh, I assure you, I'm not afraid of your pilotage 

 or your wagon either, but at the same time, after one 

 of our phnetons or curricles, it does look rather like a 

 cock-boat after a man-of-war." 



"Get away, lads," said Fairfax, in a low tone, with 

 a gentle whistle, so soon as he saw that the Eussian 

 count had bestridden "Moscow," and the dandy earl 

 climbed to " k^elim's" back, giving his reins a slight 



