only a sort of gambling;
that, in fact, there are only three honest ways of my getting Rosebud.
One is by giving an equivalent in money or something else; but I can't
afford the hundred guineas, and you won't take my pony in exchange. The
second way is by earning her--that is, by my doing so much work as will
be of the same value; but it wouldn't suit you nor me for me to take the
place of your groom for a couple of years. And the third way is for me
to have her as a free gift; but I'm not so sanguine as to suppose that
you mean to give her to me right out.'--`And where have you got all this
precious nonsense from?' cried Saunders.--`In the first place,' I
answered, `you're right about the "precious," but wrong about the
"nonsense;" it's precious truth. In the next place, I have learned
these views on the subject of raffles from my brother Amos.'--Then there
_was_ a hullaballoo. `Your brother Amos!' they shouted out, as if my
dear brother was the very last person in the world that anything good or
sensible could be expected from.--`Yes,' I said, as cool as an icicle,
`my brother Amos. I suppose if a thing's right, it's as good when it
comes from him as from any one else.'--They were both taken aback, I can
tell you. But I stuck to my point. They tried to chaff me out of it by
saying, `Well, I would be a man if I were you, and have an opinion of my
own.'--`I have an opinion of my own,' said I, `and it's none the less my
own because it's the same as my brother's.'--`He daren't move a step by
himself now for that brother of his,' sneered Saunders.--To this I
replied, `I'll just give you an answer in the words of one whose opinion
you'll respect, I think, and it's this--'

"I dare do all that may become a man,
Who dares do more is none."

"So says Shakespeare, and so say I.--Then they took to abusing Amos
again; so I just told them that I had found by experience that my
brother's advice and opinion were worth taking, and that I had no wish
to hear him cried down unless they could show that he was wrong. Well,
you may suppose that we soon found out that our horses wanted to go
different ways; so we raised our hats to one another and took leave, and
thus ended the partnership of Huntingdon, Gregson, and Saunders."

There was silence for a while, during which the hands of the two
brothers were clasped tightly in each other. At last Miss Huntingdon
said, "Now, dear Walter, you may make your laurel crown whenever