'you are in the right to keep upon the
safe side of fortune; but then, there is no occasion to be altogether so
devilish down in the mouth as you appear to be.'

'You will allow,' said O'Connor, 'that the chances are heavily against
me.'

'Why, let me see,' he replied, 'not so hollow a thin, either. Let me
see, we'll say about four to one against you; you may chance to throw
doublets like him I told you of, and then what becomes of the odds I'd
like to know? But let things go as they will, I'll give and take four to
one, in pounds and tens of pounds. There, M'Donough, there's a GET
for you; b--t me, if it is not. Poh! the fellow is stolen away,' he
continued, observing that the object of his proposal had left the room;
'but d---- it, Purcell, you are fond of a SOFT THING, too, in a quiet
way--I'm sure you are--so curse me if I do not make you the same
offer-is it a go?'

I was too much disgusted to make any reply, but I believe my looks
expressed my feelings sufficiently, for in a moment he said:

'Well, I see there is nothing to be done, so we may as well be stirring.
M'Donough, myself, and my brother will saddle the horses in a jiffy,
while you and Purcell settle anything which remains to be arranged.'

So saying, he left the room with as much alacrity as if it were to
prepare for a foxhunt. Selfish, heartless fool! I have often since heard
him spoken of as A CURSED GOOD-NATURED DOG and a D---- GOOD FELLOW; but
such eulogies as these are not calculated to mitigate the abhorrence
with which his conduct upon that morning inspired me.

The chill mists of night were still hovering on the landscape as our
party left the castle. It was a raw, comfortless morning--a kind of
drizzling fog hung heavily over the scene, dimming the light of the
sun, which had now risen, into a pale and even a grey glimmer. As the
appointed hour was fast approaching, it was proposed that we should
enter the race-ground at a point close to the stand-house--a measure
which would save us a ride of nearly two miles, over a broken road; at
which distance there was an open entrance into the race-ground. Here,
accordingly, we dismounted, and leaving our horses in the care of
a country fellow who happened to be stirring at that early hour, we
proceeded up a narrow lane, over a side wall of which we were to climb
into the open ground where stood the now deserted building, under which
the meeting was to take place. Our progress was intercepted by the