Miss
Glitters, 'my habit and horse.'

'Who can lend me a coat?' asked Captain Seedeybuck, examining the skirts of
a much frayed invisible-green surtout.

'A coat!' replied Captain Quod; 'I can lend you a Joinville, if that will
do as well,' the captain feeling his own extensive one as he spoke.

'Hardly,' said Seedeybuck, turning about to ask Sir Harry.

'What!--you are going to give Watchorn a tussle, are you?' asked Captain
Cutitfat of George Cheek, as the latter began adjusting the fox-toothed
riband about his hat.

'I believe you,' replied George, with a knowing jerk of his head; adding,
'it won't take much to beat him.'

'What! he's a slow 'un, is he?' asked Cutitfat, in an undertone.

'Slowest coach I ever saw,' growled George.

'Won't ride, won't he?' asked the Captain.

'Not if he can help it,' replied George, adding, 'but he's such a shocking
huntsman--never saw such a huntsman in all my life.'

George's experience lay between his Uncle Jellyboy, who rode eighteen stone
and a half, Tom Scramble, the pedestrian huntsman of the Slowfoot hounds,
near Mr. Latherington's, and Mr. Watchorn. But critics, especially hunting
ones, are all ready made, as Lord Byron said.

'Well, we'd better disperse and get ready,' observed Bob Spangles, making
for the door; whereupon the tide of population flowed that way, and the
room was presently cleared.

George Cheek and the juveniles then returned to their friends in the front;
and George got up pony races among the Johnny Raws, the Baskets, the
Bulgeys, and the Spooneys, thrice round the carriage ring and a distance,
to the detriment of the gravel and the discomfiture of the flower-bed in
the centre.

CHAPTER LXIV

THE KENNEL AND THE STUD

We will now accompany Mr. Watchorn to the stable, whither his resolute legs
carried him as soon as the champagne wrought the wonderful change in his
opinion of the weather, though, as he every now and then crossed a spangled
piece of ground upon which the sun had not struck, or stopped to crack a
piece of ice with his toe, he shook his heated head and doubted whether
_he_ was Cardinal Wiseman for making the attempt. Nothing but the fact of
his considering it perfectly immaterial whether he was with his hounds or
not encouraged him in the undertaking. 'Dash them!' said he, 'they must
just take care of themselves.' With which laudable resolution, and an
inward anathema at George Cheek, he left off trying the ground and