u know what you are talking about in an
after-dinner speech or not, for say what you may, hardly anybody
listens, and if they do few will understand the drift of your
observations. You get a great deal of applause when you stand up, and
a great deal more when you sit down. I seemed to catch my audience
quite accidentally by using a word tabooed at that time in sporting
circles, because it represented the blacklegs of the racecourse, and
was used as a nickname for rascaldom. "Gentlemen," I said, "I have
been unexpectedly called upon my _legs_--" Then I stammered an apology
for using the word in that company, and the laughter was unbounded.
Next morning all the sporting papers reported it as an excellent joke,
although the last person who saw the joke was myself.

After dinner we adjourned to the new premises, which included a
betting-room, since christened "place," by interpretation of a
particular statute by myself and others. Oh the castigation I received
from the Jockey Club on that account! Whether the monitory fox was
anywhere within the precincts I do not know, but I missed him at
that time, and attributed to his absence the lapse from virtue which
undermined my previous resolution, and in a moment undid the merits of
exemplary years. However, it brought me to myself, and was, after all,
a "blessing in disguise"--and pleasant to think of.

We were in the betting-room, and there was Harry Hill, my genial old
friend, who had advised me to take care, and never to bet, "because
we know our business better than you do." Alas! amidst the hubbub
and excitement, to say nothing of the joviality of everybody and the
excellence of the champagne, I said in a brave tone,--

"Come now, Mr. Hill, I _must_ have a bet, on the opening of the new
Tattersalls. I will give you evens for a fiver on ---- for the Derby!"

Alas! my friend, who _ought_ to have known better, forgot the good
advice he had given me only a few years before, and I, heedless of
consequences in my hilarity, repeated the offer of evens on the
_favourite_.

"Done!" said two or three, and amongst them Hill. I might have
repeated the offer and accepted the bet over and over again, so
popular was it. "Done, done, done!" everywhere.

But Hill was the man for my money, and he had it. Before morning the
_favourite was scratched_!

It was the race which Hermit won! Poor Hastings lost heavily and died
soon after. I had backed the wrong horse, and have never ceased t