stance, I never saw him out
with the hounds yet that he didn't take a good place, aye, and keep it
too, however long the run and difficult the country. I killed the best
horse I had in my stables trying to follow him one day in Leicestershire
last season; my horse fell with me going over the last fence, and
never rose again. Wilford, and one of the whips, who was merely a
feather-weight, were the only men in at the death. I offered him three
hundred guineas for the horse he rode, but he only gave me one of his
pleasant looks, and said it wasn't for sale."

"You've seen that jet-black mare he rides now, haven't you, Fairlegh?"
asked Archer.

"Yes; what a magnificent creature it is!" was my reply.

"Did you ever hear how he came by it?"

On my answering in the negative, Archer continued: "Well, I wonder at
that, for it was in everybody's mouth at one time: it's worth hearing,
if it were but to show the determined character of the man. The mare
belonged to Lord Foxington, Lord Sellborough's eldest son. I believe
he gave five hundred guineas for her. She was a splendid animal,
high-couraged, but temperate. In fact, when you were on her she hadn't a
fault, but in the stable she was a perfect devil; there was only one man
who dared go near her, and he had been with her from the time she was
a filly: so that, when Foxington bought the mare ~179~~he was forced to
hire the groom too. The most difficult thing of all was putting on the
bridle; it was generally half an hour's work before she would let even
this groom do it. After dinner one day Foxington began talking about
this animal, saying what a brute she was to handle, and adding what I
have just told you, as to the impossibility of putting on the bridle,
when Wilford, who was present, made some remark, which showed he did not
believe in the impossibility. Upon which Foxington inquired whether he
doubted the fact he had just heard? Wilford replied that he was sure his
lordship fully believed in the truth of what he had just stated; but,
for his own part, he had so often found impossibilities of this nature
yield to a little courage and determination, that he confessed he was
somewhat sceptical. Now, it so happened that Foxington, soon after he
bought the mare, had thought just as Wilford did, and determined that
he would put the bridle on. Accordingly he attempted it, and the matter
ended by his getting regularly driven out ol the stable by the animal,
with a tolerably se