The Duke's Children

or

one that he was not a major at all, his friends were able to contradict the assertion, and to impute it to slander. Instances were brought up,-declared by these friends to be innumerable, but which did, in truth, amount to three or four,-of English gentlemen who had come home from a former Carlist war, bearing the title of c

one of the best horsemen in England. There were some who said that, across country, he was the very best, and that, as a judge of a hunter, few excelled h

s a fortnight, finding servants and horses, and feeding the hounds, for eight hundred pounds a year, no one could understand. But Major Tifto not only undertook to do it, but did it. And he actually succeeded in obtaining for the Runnymede a degree of popularity which for many years previous it had not possessed. Such a man,-even though no one did know anything of his father or mother, though no one had ever heard him speak of a

which was a marvel to many, who declared that, from facts within their knowledge, Tifto must be far on the wrong side of forty. At a first glance you would hardly have called him thirty. No doubt, when, on close inspection, you came to look into his eyes, you could see the hand of time. Even if you believed the common assertion that he painted,-which it was very hard to believe of a man who passed the most of his time in the hunting-field or on a race-cou

ht have risen to prosperity in his profession. From these misfortunes he had emerged, and, no doubt, had often reflected on what he himself had then said. But we know that the drunkard, though he hates drunkenness, cannot but drink,-that the gambler cannot keep from the dice. Major Tifto still lied about women, and could not keep his tongue from the subject. He would boast, too, about other matters,-much to his own disadvantage. He was, too, very "deep", and some men, who could put up with his other failings, could not endure that. Whatever he wanted to do he would attempt round three corners. Though he could ride straight, he could do nothing else straight. He was full of mysteries. If he wante

advantages of his general assistance. When a man has perhaps made fifty pounds by using a "straight tip" as to a horse at Newmarket, in doing which he had of course encountered some risks, he feels he ought not to be made to pay the amount back into the pockets of the "tipper," and at the same time to find himself saddled with the possession of a perfectly useless animal. In this way there were rocks

gnificent colt, the Prime Minister, and he was a member of the Beargarden. He was a man who had often been despondent about himself, but was now disposed to be a little triumphant

iend met in the dining-room of the Beargarden

ast night. Glasslough and Nidderdale were there. I thought we

find out all about it before long. Pe

hour, and half-a-dozen cuts at blind hookey,-that's about my form. I know I dr

s; eh,

orded his young friend at first, and now brought out the name with a hesitating twang, which the young nobleman appreciated. But t

kind is pretty good

e saying

o better with the

nds in the year. Any one of our fellows who has a horse to sell thinks that I am

them have y

up since. But what does it amount to? When I have anything

paying

resent. But the man who buys has a deal the best of it. Did you e

old Sar

sixty pounds. Now, if you were

r, and of course I

ve had three hundred and fifty pounds for her. I could have got the money easi

ou what y

t do better if I never owned an animal at all but those I want for my own use. When I am dealing with a man I call a frie

to his moustache, and looked sadly away into the vacancy of the room,

right about Cream Ch

be lost. "When you remember how he ran at the Craven with 9 st. 12 lb. on him, that it took Archbishop all he knew to beat him with only 9 st. 2 lb., and what the lot at Ches

ower'll be the b

is for an ill-conditioned brute like that! And then he's the most uncertain horse in training.

ays he's a

one against him, nor yet four and a h

en. I don't know how it may be about this electio

sanctum Major Tifto had not yet been introduced, but now he was taken there under Lord Silverbridge's wing. There were already four or five assembled, among whom was Mr. Adolphus Longstaff, a young man of about thirty-five years of age,

of Major Tifto

other middle-aged young man, who made o

your country and have a day with the Tiftoes," sa

you like," said the Major.

s was suc

addington every da

appen to be up. Well, Silverbr

fto?" asked th

st at present enjoying a very much better

run?" ask

hy shouldn't he

sure t

start, don't we, Silve

to do, would sometimes think that he was fond of music. Soon after he was gone Major Tifto had some whisky-and-water, lit his third cigar, and began to feel the glory of belonging to the Beargarden. With Lord Silverbridge, to whom it was essentially necessary that he should make himself agreeable at all times, he was somewhat overweighted as it were. Thou

said. They were talking of the singer, the charms

her off the stage?

dear

out very much, I fa

"But she and I have had a day

en very much favo

she has been over here," sai

lly,-in the simplest voice, as though not in t

ot possessed of sufficient presence of mi

ed to Mr. Thomas Jones for the last year and a half." Soon after that Majo