A VISIT TO A VETERAN. 227 



quiet as a lamb," says his trainer ; and I pass my 

 hand down his clean legs, of greater girth than 

 they appear, by reason, it may be, of the forma- 

 tion of the knee ; stroke his amiable nose, and 

 generally endeavour to impress upon the good 

 honest horse — how grandly he came, when 

 wanted, up that hill on the 25th of October ! — 

 that I am proud to make his acquaintance, 

 overtures of friendship which he receives very 

 kindly and seems to reciprocate. He is a 

 foreigner, an alien, and twice he has lost me 

 my money, but I love a good horse with all my 

 heart, and for his prowess and his disposition 

 alike Foxhall is a horse to arouse enthusiasm. 



I turn away to inspect the others ; but after 

 the big horse they seem poor, so I return to 

 have one more look at him. One more stroke 

 of that soft, solid neck, and I say au revoir to 

 Foxhall. 



