e husband of my
wife's sister, Sylvester, against Slammocks of the Chong gav for twenty
pounds, which I am thinking of doing.'

'But,' said I, 'after all, the horse may have found another purchaser by
this time.' 'Not he,' said Mr. Petulengro, 'there is nobody in this
neighbourhood to purchase a horse like that, unless it be your
lordship--so take the money, brother,' and he thrust the purse into my
hand. Allowing myself to be persuaded, I kept possession of the purse.
'Are you satisfied now?' said I. 'By no means, brother,' said Mr.
Petulengro, 'you will please to pay me the five shillings which you lost
to me.' 'Why,' said I, 'the fifty pounds which I found in my pocket were
not mine, but put in by yourself.' 'That's nothing to do with the
matter, brother,' said Mr. Petulengro; 'I betted you five shillings that
you had fifty pounds in your pocket, which sum you had: I did not say
that they were your own, but merely that you had fifty pounds; you will
therefore pay me, brother, or I shall not consider you an honourable
man.' Not wishing to have any dispute about such a matter, I took five
shillings out of my under pocket, and gave them to him. Mr. Petulengro
took the money with great glee, observing--'These five shillings I will
take to the public-house forthwith, and spend in drinking with four of my
brethren, and doing so will give me an opportunity of telling the
landlord that I have found a customer for his horse, and that you are the
man. It will be as well to secure the horse as soon as possible; for
though the dook tells me that the horse is intended for you, I have now
and then found that the dook is, like myself, somewhat given to lying.'

He then departed, and I remained alone in the dingle. I thought at first
that I had committed a great piece of folly in consenting to purchase
this horse; I might find no desirable purchaser for him until the money
in my possession should be totally exhausted, and then I might be
compelled to sell him for half the price I had given for him, or be even
glad to find a person who would receive him at a gift; I should then
remain sans horse, and indebted to Mr. Petulengro. Nevertheless, it was
possible that I might sell the horse very advantageously, and by so
doing, obtain a fund sufficient to enable me to execute some grand
enterprise or other. My present way of life afforded no prospect of
support, whereas the purchase of the horse did afford a possibility of
bett