d to say, "You may proceed, I am
quite comfortable".

"It was about time for me to take an affectionate farewell of Alma
Mater," observed Lawless, after he had criticised and admired the
horses afresh, and at such length, that I could not help smiling at the
fulfilment of Oaklands' prediction--"it was about time for me to be off,
for the duns were becoming rather too particular in their attentions. I
got a precious fright the other day, I can tell you. I was fool enough
to pay two or three bills, and that gave the rest of the fellows a
notion that I was about to bolt, I suppose, for one morning I was
regularly besieged by them. I taught them a trick or two, though, before
I had done with them: they won't forget me in a hurry, I expect."

"Indeed! and how did you contrive to fix yourself so indelibly in their
recollections?" asked I.

"Eh! 'though lost to sight, to memory _dear_'--rather that style of
thing, you know. So you want to hear all about it, eh? Well, it was a
good lark, I must say; I was telling it to Basset last night, and it
nearly killed him. I don't know whether you have seen him lately, but
he's grown horribly fat. He has taken to rearing prize bullocks, and I
think he has caught it of 'em; rides sixteen stone, if he rides a pound.
I tell him he'll break his neck some of these days, if he chooses to go
on hunting--the horses can't stand it. However, he went into such fits
of laughter when I told him about it, that he got quite black in the
face, and I rang the bell, and swore he was in an apoplexy, but the
servant seemed used to the sort of thing, and brought him a jug of beer,
which resuscitated him. Well, to return to my mutton, as the Mounseers
have it--the very day I intended to leave Cambridge, Shrimp came in
while I was breakfasting, with a great coarse-looking letter in his
hand.

"'Please, sir, Mr. Pigskin has called with his little account, and would
be very glad if you could let him have the money.'

"Pleasant, thinks I. 'Here, boy, let's have a look at this precious
little account--hum! ha! hunting-saddle, gag-bit for Lamplighter,
head-piece and reins to ditto, ~317~~"racing-saddle for chestnut mare,'
etc., etc., etc.; a horrid affair as long as my arm--total L96 18s. 2d.;
and the blackguard had charged everything half as much again as he had
told me when I ordered it. Still, I thought I'd pay the fellow, and have
done with him, if I had got tin enough left; so I told Shrimp to show
him i