“Well,” said the gentleman, “I’m not in a hurry. I’ve got a very good pair now; but if they could be got for one hundred and twenty pounds, I wouldn’t mind.”
“Is that an order?” said Jim.
“Yes,” said the gentleman, “I’ll give one hundred and twenty pounds.”
“You’ll get a bargain if you get them at that,” said Jim, “for I know from the coachman as the lady paid over two hundred pounds for ’em, and they weren’t dear at that. But I’ll see what I can do.”
The gentleman got those horses through Jim, and he got them for the one hundred and twenty pounds. And it was only through a third party letting out the secret that I heard afterwards how it was done, and I’m not going to tell because it was told me in confidence; but I may say the old lady’s coachman was always being treated by Jim in a very generous manner. And soon after that, one of the horses took to showing temper in a way he had never done before, and the coachman told the old lady that sometimes after a certain age horses that had been very quiet developed a vice.
Jim Marshall had a great “pal,” as he called him, in our local veterinary surgeon—rather a fast young fellow, who was the great sporting authority, and was supposed to know more about horses and dogs than anybody in the county. I believe he was very clever—he certainly did wonders for our pony when it was ill—but he was too fond of betting, and going to London for a day or two, and coming back looking very seedy, so that he was generally hard up. Soon after the old lady’s horses had changed their ways so suddenly, the veterinary and old Jim were standing outside our house, when they saw old Mr. Jenkins, the old lady’s gardener, who had been with her for thirty years, come in. He was coming to see me about some fruit, which we wanted to buy of him for preserving, and about supplying us with vegetables from the kitchen garden.
Mr. Jenkins was, of course, asked into our parlour, and while he was there, in walks the veterinary, and they began to talk, till the conversation got on the horses. “Ah!” said the veterinary, “they’re a nice pair, but they aren’t quite the sort for your lady. I watched the mare go by the other day, and there was something about her I didn’t like. I dare say she’s all right in double harness, but I wouldn’t care to drive her myself in single.”
Then he began to tell stories about carriage accidents and runaway horses, till Mr. Jenkins turned quite pale, and said he should never know another minute’s peace while his mistress was out with “them animals.”
He went back, and you may be sure he told the lady all he had heard, and made the most of it. And the old lady was made quite nervous, and sent for the coachman, and the coachman said of course it wasn’t his place to say anything; but, if he was asked his honest opinion, he couldn’t say that he always felt quite safe with the horses himself. However, he should always be careful and do his best to prevent an accident.
A week after that, Jim Marshall got the horses for a hundred pounds. The old lady sent to him to come and take them, and he found her a nice quiet pair, that somebody else wanted to sell. I expect he did very well out of the transaction, and so did the old lady’s coachman.