Reminiscences. 209 



the thankless part of the ball with great 

 success. The whole scene is as fresh in my 

 memory as if it had occurred yesterday, 

 instead of nearly forty years ago ; I seem 

 still to hear the delighted crow of the baby, 

 who was in my father's arms throughout the 

 entire episode, and who evidently considered 

 that some new and beautiful game was being 

 played for his special benefit. " The Druid " 

 was himself again almost immediately, and 

 our train started as he was leaning out of the 

 carriage window, and blandly assuring the 

 outraged wife of his victim that " a little 

 brown paper and vinegar, my dear madam, 

 will make your husband as good as new 

 again." 



No man ever scorned a lie more 

 thoroughly, or had a deeper contempt for 

 anything like a mean action, and his jealousy 

 for the perfect independence of the Press was 

 possibly carried to extremes at times. He 

 first took me to a sale of blood stock about 

 i860, and we arrived early, in order that he 

 might have plenty of time to look over the 

 yearlings in their boxes before the sale 

 opened. When this proceeding was over, I 

 14 



