THE COMMISSIONER AND HIS DOINGS. 251 
insincerity, whilst the commissioner or his satellites are alone 
culpable for the mismanagement or imposition. 
A commission given in this way often defeats its own ends. 
Long before it is half executed, the horse is injudiciously 
rushed in the market and becomes first favourite, and the 
shortest possible price has afterwards to be taken, or much of 
the commission left undone. Thus the average price becomes 
a bad one, a result which many have too much reason to regret 
from bitter experience. It is only natural that fault is found 
all round, the commissioner, who is in fact the delinquent, 
alone escaping. The trainer, the jockey, nay, even the poor 
stable-boy, are mercilessly condemned. The commissioner 
expatiates on his own merits and those of his colleagues. 
“ Had it not been for strategic movements,” he cries, ‘ and 
for well-timed diplomacy on my part, the result would have 
been a total failure, instead of obtaining, as I have done, a very 
fair average price for nearly the whole of the money. I saw, 
as who did not? that the field was a weak one. The book- 
makers would not bet, for our horse’s excellent chance was 
patent to every one. If I had not smartly taken the price, 
others would have snapped it up and things would have been 
very much worse.” 
This charming language, this unbounded candour and 
persuasive argument, carry the day. The owner concurs in 
censure of the one, and eulogy of the other section of those 
he employs. And so the farce is repeated again and again, 
unfortunately with the same disastrous result. I willingly 
admit that there are commissioners who do not serve their 
employers thus dishonestly, enriching themselves at their 
patron’s expense; but I have no hesitation in saying that 
there are too many who thus “arrive at fortune on their first 
lord’s neck.” 
