ike him. He comes in 'ere this arternoon and says to me,
"Mathews," he says, "if this 'ere war comes about it'll be a long one,
and make no mistake, so I estermate we'd better give the Government our
hosses right away, in course keepin' old Ned for to drive." Never
twigged an eyelash, he didn't. No, sir. Just up and tells it to me like
I'm a-doin' to you. "Then," I says, "you won't be wanting me no longer,
milord?" And he says, "Mathews, as long as there's a home for me,
there's one for you," and he clapped me on my shoulder likewise as if him
and me were ekals. It kind o' done me in, it did, what with the prospick
o' losin' my hosses--them as I'd raised since they was runnin' around
arter their mothers like young galathumpians--and what with his speakin'
so fair and kindly like. Well--criky!--I could ha' swore; I felt so bad.'

'It will be a great loss for Lord Durwent to lose his stable.'

'Ah, that it will. But this arternoon, arter what I'm a-tellin' you, he
just goes through with me and says, "Nell's lookin' pretty fit," or
"How's Prince's bad knee?" just as if nothink had happened at all. I
says to myself, "Milord, you're a thoroughbred, you are," for he makes me
think o' Mister Malcolm's bull-terrier, he do. Breed? That there dog
has a ancestry as would do credit to a Egyptian mummy. I've seen Mister
Malcolm take a whip arter the dog had got among the chickens or took a
bite out o' the game-keeper's leg, him never liking the game-keeper,
conseckens o' his being bow-legged and having a contrary dispersition,
and do you think that there dog would let a whimper out o' him? No, sir.
He would just turn his eye on Mister Malcolm and sorter say, "All right,
thrash away. I may hev my little weaknesses, but, thank Gord! I come of
a distinkished fam'ly."'

They smoked in silence for a few minutes.

'No, sir,' resumed the groom, pushing his hat back in order to scratch
his head, 'he never whimpered, did milord; but I saw when he got opposite
Mas'r Dick's old mare Princess that he felt kind o' bad, and he didn't
say much for the better part o' a minute. Mr. Selwyn, I'm a bit creaky
in my jints and ain't as frisky as I were, but I'd be werry much obliged
to be sent over to this 'ere war and see if I couldn't put a bullet or
two in some o' them there sausage-eaters.'

'Well,' said the American moodily, 'you may get your chance.'

'Thank 'ee, sir. I hope so, sir.'

'Good-night, Mathews.'

'Good-night, s