“Just the thing,” said I, “if it is not too expensive for my pocket.”
“Oh no,” replied Coleman; “Snaffles lets horses at as cheap a rate as any one, and good 'uns to go, too; does not he, Cumberland?”
“Eh, what are you talking about?” said Cumberland, who had just entered the room; “Snaffles? Oh yes, he's the man for horse flesh. Are you going to amuse yourself by tumbling off that fat little cob of his again, Fred?”
“I was thinking of having another try,” replied Coleman; “what do you say, Fairlegh? Never mind the tin; I daresay you have got plenty, and can get more when that's gone.”
“I have got a ten-pound note,” answered I; “but that must last me all this quarter: however, we'll have our ride to-day.”
“I'll walk down with you,” said Cumberland; “I'm going that way; besides, it's worth a walk any day to see Coleman mount; it took him ten minutes the last time I saw him, and then he threw the wrong leg over, so that he turned his face to the tail.”
“Scandalum magnatum! not a true bill,” replied Coleman.
“Now, come along, Fairlegh, let's get ready, and be off.” During our walk down to Snaffles' stables Cumberland (who seemed entirely to have forgotten my mal à propos remark) talked to me in a much more amiable manner than he had yet done; and the conversation naturally turning upon horses and riding, a theme always interesting to me, I was induced to enter into sundry details of my own exploits in that line. We reached the livery stables just as I had concluded a somewhat egotistical relation concerning a horse which a gentleman in our neighbourhood had bought for his invalid son, but which, proving at first too spirited, I had undertaken to ride every day for a month in order to get him quiet; a feat I was rather proud of having satisfactorily accomplished.
“Good-morning, Mr. Snaffles; is Punch at home?” asked Coleman of a stout red-faced man, attired in a bright green Newmarket coat and top-boots.
“Yes, sir. Mr. Lawless told me your governor was gone to town, so I kept him in, thinking perhaps you would want him.”