,
Your Lordship's most dutiful Servant,

T. TIFTO.

There was something in this letter which the Major himself did not
quite approve. There was an absence of familiarity about it which
annoyed him. He would have liked to call upon his late partner to
declare that a more honourable man than Major Tifto had never been
known on the turf. But he felt himself to be so far down in the world
that it was not safe for him to hold an opinion of his own, even
against the livery-stable keeper!

Silverbridge was for a time in doubt whether he should answer the
letters at all, and if so how he should answer them. In regard to Mr.
Jawstock and the meeting at large, he regarded the application as
an impertinence. But as to Tifto himself he vacillated much between
pity, contempt, and absolute condemnation. Everybody had assured him
that the man had certainly been guilty. The fact that he had made
bets against their joint horse,--bets as to which he had said nothing
till after the race was over,--had been admitted by himself. And yet
it was possible that the man might not be such a rascal as to be
unfit to manage the Runnymede hounds. Having himself got rid of
Tifto, he would have been glad that the poor wretch should have been
left with his hunting honours. But he did not think that he could
write to his late partner any letter that would preserve those
honours to him.

At Tregear's advice he referred the matter to Mr. Lupton. Mr. Lupton
was of opinion that both the letters should be answered, but that
the answer to each should be very short. "There is a prejudice about
the world just at present," said Mr. Lupton, "in favour of answering
letters. I don't see why I am to be subjected to an annoyance because
another man has taken a liberty. But it is better to submit to public
opinion. Public opinion thinks that letters should be answered." Then
Mr. Lupton dictated the answers.

"Lord Silverbridge presents his compliments to Mr. Jawstock, and
begs to say that he does not feel himself called upon to express
any opinion as to Major Tifto's conduct at Doncaster." That was the
first. The second was rather less simple, but not much longer.

SIR,

I do not feel myself called upon to express any opinion
either to you or to others as to your conduct at
Doncaster. Having received a letter on the subject from
Mr. Jawstock I have written to him to this effect.

Your obedient Servant,

SILVERBRIDGE.