t various times he had bestowed upon her, and had put herself
under the protection of a gentleman who played the bassoon at the Italian
Opera, at which place it appeared that her sister had lately been engaged
as a danseuse. My friend informed me that at first he had experienced
great agony at the ingratitude of Annette, but at last had made up his
mind to forget her, and in order more effectually to do so, had left
London with the intention of witnessing a fight, which was shortly coming
off at a town in these parts, between some dogs and a lion; which combat,
he informed me, had for some time past been looked forward to with
intense eagerness by the gentlemen of the sporting world.

I commended him for his resolution, at the same time advising him not to
give up his mind entirely to dog-fighting, as he had formerly done, but,
when the present combat should be over, to return to his rhetorical
studies, and above all to marry some rich and handsome lady on the first
opportunity, as, with his person and expectations, he had only to sue for
the hand of the daughter of a marquis to be successful, telling him with
a sigh, that all women were not Annettes, and that upon the whole there
was nothing like them. To which advice he answered, that he intended to
return to rhetoric as soon as the lion-fight should be over, but that he
never intended to marry, having had enough of women; adding, that he was
glad he had no sister, as, with the feelings which he entertained with
respect to her sex, he should be unable to treat her with common
affection, and concluded by repeating a proverb which he had learned from
an Arab whom he had met at Venice, to the effect that "one who has been
stung by a snake, shivers at the sight of a string."

After a little more conversation, we strolled to the stable, where my
horse was standing; my friend, who was a Connoisseur in horse-flesh,
surveyed the animal with attention, and after inquiring where and how I
had obtained him, asked what I intended to do with him; on my telling him
that I was undetermined, and that I was afraid the horse was likely to
prove a burden to me, he said, "It is a noble animal, and if you mind
what you are about, you may make a small fortune by him. I do not want
such an animal myself, nor do I know any one who does; but a great horse
fair will be held shortly at a place where, it is true, I have never
been, but of which I have heard a great deal from my acquaintances,