The Fo7'eigJi Market 155 



decay, and their ideas range very little beyond half- 

 bred French and Norman horses. Maroon was pur- 

 chased for 1000 guineas ; but they hardly gave him ten 

 mares ; thus missing the chance of scores of pairs of 

 those slashing whole coloured, coaching bays, which he 

 has sown broadcast in Yorkshire, and the iirst of which 

 became Her IMajesty's for 400 guineas. 



The Belgian Chamber of Deputies would have 

 quailed with remorse if they could have only heard the 

 words of his jolly old guardian, Dick Stockdale, when 

 beaming in every feature with delight, he pointed out 

 his " crimson bay" to us for the first time, on a Sep- 

 tember morning, as he drew himself up to his full 

 height, amid a troop of Driffield prize-Cochins on a 

 little knoll in his paddock at Skerne. There he stood, 

 looking almost as fresh in his twenty-first summer, as 

 when all Yorkshire lamented that Holmes had not 

 thrown his orders to the wind, or that his reins had 

 not been soaped on the Leger-day. Dick dwelt, with 

 emphasis, and outstretched hand, upon his excellent 

 temper, his teeth, and his legs, and after taking a 

 rapid retrospect of their six seasons, impressively 

 wound up with allowing that " Jie has but one 

 fault — he's Just a little bit too big for Sir Tatton 

 Sykesr 



