230 Silk and Scarlet, 



York, and Fisherman in Chester, but it was no matter 

 to Inheritress where she ran, provided it was not New- 

 market, The dead expanse of the heath seemed 

 quite to scare her, and she stood and trembled at the 

 post till the spurs and a couple of strokes from Sim's 

 whalebone, which he was sadly loth to inflict on such 

 a pet, roused her from her dreamy state, although it 

 could not stir her heart. In after years, Birdcatcher 

 quite hated her. It was th<; first time he had ever 

 shown such daintiness, and when he could be got to 

 notice her, it was not only a case of " Strangers with- 

 draw," but even the groom was obliged to retire, and 

 apply his eye to the key-hole. As might have been 

 expected, the produce was wretched enough. Touch- 

 stone had also a great objection to young mares ; and 

 Assault not merely disliked (for that trait is common 

 enough), but used to regard it as a perfect insult when 

 any, be the age what it might, were brought to him, 

 with satin coats or smelling of the stable. In fact, he 

 cut up so rough with his groom, when one of Lord 

 Glasgow's came to him straight from the racing 

 stables, that the former was fain to save himself and 

 her from being worried alive, by tying him up as 

 quick as he could, and producing some highly artistic 

 efforts in light and shade, with glazing from a friendly 

 dung-heap, which quite satisfied the little connoisseur's 

 eye. 



Sir Hercules ^^ ^^^^ ^^ tongue of old Forth, 

 seated in his white hat on a summer 

 evening, under the pleasant shade of his trees at 

 Mitchel Grove, to tell the story of Sir Hercules and 

 his stock aright. There was none that the old man 

 clung to so fondly ; and he spoke of his son Hyllus, 

 whom he sadly wanted to buy back from the Messrs. 

 Litchwald after he went abroad, as the horse of his 

 heart, and vowed that he would never have been 

 beaten, if he could have had a race run exactly to suit 

 him. The failure of Sting preyed on him to the last 



