pressed herself most desirous to witness; and as the dean
would not permit her to go without a chaperon, I had no means of
escape, and promised to escort her. No sooner had I made this rash
pledge than I hastened to my confidential friend, Lalouette, and having
imparted to him my entire secret, asked him in a solemn and imposing
manner, 'Can I do it?' The old man shook his head dubiously, looked
grave, and muttered at length, 'Mosch depend on de horse.' 'I know
it--I know it--I feel it,' said I, eagerly--'then where are we to find
an animal that will carry me peaceably through this awful day? I care
not for his price.'

"'Votre affaire ne sera pas trop chere,' said he.

"'Why, how do you mean?' said I.

"He then proceeded to inform me that, by a singularly fortunate chance,
there took place that day an auction of 'cast horses,' as they are
termed, which had been used in the horse police force; and that from
long riding and training to stand fire, nothing could be more suitable
than one of these, being both easy to ride and not given to start at
noise.

"I could have almost hugged the old fellow for his happy suggestion,
and waited with impatience for three o'clock to come, when we repaired
together to Essexbridge, at that time the place selected for these
sales.

"I was at first a little shocked at the look of the animals drawn up;
they were most miserably thin, most of them swelled in the legs, few
without sore backs, and not one eye on an average in every three; but
still they were all high-steppers, and carried a great tail. 'There's
your affaire,' said the old Frenchman, as a long-legged, fiddle-headed
beast was led out; turning out his forelegs so as to endanger the man
who walked beside him.

"'Yes, there's blood for you,' said Charley Dycer, seeing my eye fixed
on the wretched beast; 'equal to fifteen stone with any fox-hounds;
safe in all his paces, and warranted sound; except,' added he, in a
whisper, 'a slight spavin in both hind legs, ring-bone, and a little
touch in the wind.' Here the animal gave an approving cough. 'Will
any gentleman say fifty pounds to begin?' But no gentleman did. A
hackney-coachman, however, said five, and the sale was opened; the
beast trotting up and down nearly over the bidders at every moment, and
plunging on so that it was impossible to know what was doing.

"'Five ten--fifteen--six pounds--thank you, sir--guineas'--seven
pounds,' said I, bidding against myself,