410 HOW MR. COPER SOLI) A HORSE. 
was to sell that boss, my missus would worry my life out.’ 
Well, sir, the more Coper made a difficulty of selling the hoss, 
the more the gent wanted to buy; till at last Coper took him to 
the coach hus, as tho’ to be private, and said to him in a 
whisper, ‘ Well, I’ll tell you what I’ll do; I’ll take ninety pounds 
for him; perhaps he’s not worth that to every body, but I think 
he is to you, who wants a perfect thing, and ready made for 
you .’ ‘ You’re very kind,’ said the gent, ‘and I’ll give you a 
check at once.’ * But, mind,’ says Coper, ' you must fetch him 
away at night; for if my missus saw him going out of the yard, 
I do believe she’d pull a life-guardsman off him. How I shall 
pacify her, I don’t know! Ninety pounds! why, ninety pounds 
won’t pay me for the row, and leave alone the hoss!’ 
“ The gent quite thought Coper was repenting of the bar¬ 
gain, and so walked away to the little countin’ house, and drew 
a check for the money. When he was gone, I burst out a 
laughin’; because I know’d Mrs. Coper was as mild as a bran 
mash, and ’ud never a dared to blow up her husband; but Coper 
wouldn’t have it—he looked as solemn as truth. Well, sir, the 
hoss was fetched aw r ay that night,” 
“ But why at night, Davis?” 
“ Because they shouldn’t see his good qualities all at once, I 
suppose, sir; for he’d got the Devonshire coat-of-arms on his 
off knee.” 
“ Devonshire coat-of-arms ?” 
“ Yes, sir; you see Devonshire’s a very hilly country, and 
most of the hosses down there has broken knees, so they calls a 
speck the Devonshire coat-of-arms. Well, sir, as Mrs. Coper’s 
pet shied at every thing and nothing, and bolted when he 
warn’t a shying, the gent came back in about a week to Coper. 
“ ‘ Mr. Coper,’ say he, * I can’t get on with that hoss at all— 
perhaps I don’t know how to manage him; he goes on so odd 
that I’m afraid to ride him; so I thought, as he was such a 
favourite with Mrs. Coper, you should have him back again.’ 
“ 1 Not if you’d give me ninety pounds to do it,’ says Coper, 
looking as though he was a-going to bite the gent. 
“ * Why not?’ says the gent. 
“ ‘ I wouldn’t go through what I have gone through,’ says 
Coper, hitting the stable-door with his fist enough to split it, 
‘ not for twice the money. Mrs. Coper never left off rowing 
for two days and nights; and how 1 should a’ stopped her I 
don’t know, if luck hadn’t stood my friend; but I happened to 
meet with a hoss the very moral of the one you’ve got, only, 
perhaps, just a little better, and Mrs. Coper took to him won¬ 
derful. I wouldn’t disturb our domestic harmony by having 
that hoss o’ yourn back again, not for half the Bank of Eng- 
