Why, what other term can be so applicable? What but appear to be incapable of forming a correct judgement. We obstinacy is it?-sheer obstinacy?"

Exactly: the very points to which I should object. My girl should not, with my consent, marry any man who had not sufficient experience to resist the temptations, and to ward off the dazzling diablerie of the vicious. But, what would you say to me if a young fellow without this experience were clandestinely to marry my girl, and I were to hold out as you do, what would be your advice to me?"

“I should certainly advise you to hold out still, that he might feel that, as his wife had made a sacrifice of all for him, he was bound to cherish her with tenfold tenderness."

"Very good-very good. I should, then, think it excellent advice, and should follow it, no doubt; but, if I did, what besides should I be doing? Why, laying the foundation of the defeat of the very object I had in view: driving that young man to form promiscuous friendships; driving him in the way of every species of temptation; driving him pell-mell into the haunts of vice and villainy; for, who can expect a young fellow like that to be always at home? He will go out, and ought to go out; but when he does, where is he to go? What connexions is he likely to form? who are likely to be his associates, when full of blood and spirit, he has the means of indulging in every extravagant pleasure? And then, his wife, what is she to do during his absence? deserted by her friends, because spurned by her relatives: no one to converse with, no one to visit, no one in whom she can with safety confide. It is true-very true, that she ought to have thought of this before; but then, she did n't think of it: she rushed into this position, and there she is! It is also true that she ought to consider herself but justly punished for her disobedience; but, Captain, as men of the world, you and I well know it to be unsafe, to say the least of it, to punish a young and beautiful woman too severely in this way. Besides, we ought to take into consideration that all the punishment in such a case, fails upon her, which is not the correct thing, by any means. You would not wish, I am certain, to be unduly severe with her; you would not wish to stand as a barrier between her and happiness. I feel quite convinced that you never wished to do this, and yet is this the very thing you do. I should have done in every respect, no doubt, precisely as you have; but I think that after a time I should have been induced to feel that I was thereby defeating the very object I wished to attain. Now, I never yet found you unreasonable. I am not a man to flatter; you will acquit me, I am sure, of any desire to do so; but I never knew you stubbornly to repudiate any rational view. It is hence that I now feel quite sure that, if you look at this matter again calmly, you will be as well convinced, as I plainly confess that I am, that you will not be doing your duty as father if you sternly hold out after this."

"General, I need not assure you that my only object in holding out has been to secure eventually my poor girl's happiness. God bless her! I love her as fondly as before. Nay, she seems to be even more dear to me than ever."

"I believe it. I know it. I feel it. Forgive her; forgive them both. She is a good girl, and he well deserves her. He treats her as he ought, with the most affectionate tenderness."

"I am not sure of that."

"I am-perfectly sure. The intense, the artless fervor, with which she assured me that such was the fact, renders it mpossible for me to disbelieve it. Receive them, then. Come, you have no wish to torture her. Be reconciled. And ―mark my words, Captain-they will be happy, most happy, he happiest pair that ever lived."

"If I were sure of that"

"Be sure of it! make up your mind to it. Be sure of this, so, that it rests with you whether they are happy or miserale. Don't let them live as if they were outcasts of society. Don't drive that youth to seek an exciting change of scene among blacklegs and roués. Let him feel that you care for him, and he will care for you. Let him feel that he has some

one with whom he can advise. Let them both be restored to the position they ought to occupy. Let them both feel that in you they have a father indeed. By Jupiter, sir, you'll do wrong if you continue to close your doors against them. Come, say you will receive them; say you will meet them at my house: that, perhaps, will be better, for I know him to be a high-spirited dog, who is not much enamored of humility, and I respect him the more; for it affords, in my view, an additional proof that he takes his stand solely upon the honourable character of his intentions. Come, let me arrange it. Don't give me an answer now. Sleep upon it. Turn it well over in your mind: weigh every circumstance deliberately and mly, and then let me know your decision."

the Captain most willingly promised to do. He was

even then prepared to decide, but the General would not receive his answer: he insisted upon the propriety of a little more reflection, although he by no means conceived it to be absolutely necessary, and soon after left, in the perfect conviction that the object proposed had been attained.

Epsom.

CHAPTER XIX....Stanley and Bob purchase some experience at It were, perhaps, very vain, if not very presumptuous, to speculate deeply upon the subject without data; but, if any purely patriotic member of the Commons were to move for a return of all the money lost and won on the Derby, such return would be a document of extraordinary interest, and one which, in the nature of things, would go far towards stunning the world. With the aid of a few highly accomplished calcu lating boys in full practice, the thing might be easily got at; for they would only have two distinct classes to seperatethe winners and the losers,-to get on fast as could well be expected; while they could clearly derive very material as sistance from a knowledge of the fact twenty sporting-char acters may bet to the amount of twenty millions, without one of them winning or losing a pound.

But, apart from the high consideration having reference to the actual discovery of the amount, it seems abundantly clear that, although in a nominal sense they who are deep in the science of betting-for a science it has undisputably becomehave it hollow; the greatest amount of money is actually won from the brilliant superficial professors; it being a striking truth, and one which no sort of sophistry can smother, that in betting-although it is not so in music,-an imperfect sharp makes the most perfect flat.

When the mind is brought to bear with due weight upon the varied ramifications of this interesting science, it will be found to be one of so much excellence, per se, that, although, it may be even now pretty well taught at our Universities, it will appear to be rather strange in the abstract that prizes should not have been established as well for that as for Greek and mathematics. This might, perhaps, in conse quence of its immediate proximity to Newmarket, obtain in the first instance at Cambridge; for, albeit, every Cambridge man now may be said to possess a fair knowledge of the elements of the science, that knowledge is clearly insufficient to induce a correct appreciation of its beauties, or to guide a sporting character out of that attractive labyrinth, into which ardent tyros are too prone to rush. How admirable is it to see a strictly scientific sporting character making up his book! As a grocer conducts a transaction of barter, as a high-toned attorney standing boldly upon the legitimate integrity of his principles, makes out an untaxable bill of costs, to cover with comfort the sums received, so he weighs every item again and again with a perfectly uninterceptible view to its bearing upon the general balance. Nor is it necessary for him to be a judge of horse-flesh. By no means. He sports his money safely to the extent of tens of thousands without seeing one of the horses that are entered: he bets upon credit, the credit of those who bet before him: the exercise of his own individ ual judgement is altogether supererogatory: he gives and takes the odds in the dark; but, oh! what a highly-enlight ened darkness is his! And in this, perhaps, consists the chief beauty of the science. If a horse be the chief favorite at Tattesall's, he is, in consequence, the favorite all over the world, if even he should have but three legs. His pedigree is nothing his name is up. He is the favorite! That is held to be sufficient by regular sporting characters, from the highest to the lowest; from those who take six to four in thousands, to those who take three to two in fourpenny pieces.

perficial. He had, indeed, been enlightened by Sir William Now Stanley's knowledge of this science was extremely su to a certain extent: he had had his eyes sufficiently opened to see his way with perfect distinctness into a hole, but by no when an individual is to be fleeced, is a far more ingenious means sufficiently opened to see his way out again; which, mode of procedure than that of making him believe that he is quite in the dark; because, in that case, he feels his way so carefully that the odds are decidedly against your being able to get him in at all: whereas, one who has been half enlight ened on the subject, believes that he knows all about it; and enters into the thing with all the confidence in Nature. This ception that so much money was to be won with so much was precisely the case with Stanley. He had before no conwould have bet more, but Sir William, who was far too ease, and therefore, bet to the extent of some thousands, and

ingenious to frighten him, in limine, not only closed his book, but resolved, for the look of the thing, to induce him to hedge down at Epsom with one of those purely sporting men who are always to be found in the ring, in order that what he might actually lose he might nominally cover.

Well, all the preliminaries having been arranged after the most approved fashion, Stanley, Amelia, and Sir William, on the morning of the great Derby day, proceeded to the resi dence of the widow, who had prepared a sumptuous breakfast, and sundry hampers containing champagne, sherry, chickens, tongues, pigeon-pies, cakes, and a variety of other httle articles, designed for demolition on the course. They were all in high spirits. Their pleasure, perhaps, sprang from various sources: but they were all, nevertheless, on most exalted terms, as well with each other as with themselves; and, as Sir William had suggested the expediency of starting early, at nine o'clock precisely the carriage was announced, and looked-when the party had taken their seats, and the servants in flaming liveries, were on the box, and the postboys were mounted, duly embellished with satin jackets of the brightest celestial blue,-rather distingué than not.

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mistakes, by recording in his favor a variety of bets, which were in reality against him. He was therefore highly pleased when Stanley returned, which he did as soon as possible, in order to back his own judgement; and having entered the ring, he almost immediately got into conversation with Major Foxe, who pompously pronounced himself open to take the three first horses against the field for an even thousand. This was precisely what Stantley wanted, and he took the bet at once, and they formally exchanged cards, and then made several other bets, which brought Stanley home pretty safely, very much to the delight of Sir William, whom he consulted, and with whom, on the strength of the Major's bets, he increased his liabilities, and having closed his book, invited the Major to join them.

While Stanley was in the ring, thus bringing himself nomi nally round, Bob, with unparalleled zeal and intensity of feeling, was studying the prevailing characteristics of his position, as strikingly manifested by his book, and found eventually the evidence it imparted to be of a nature so particularly conflicting, that he all at once became so enlightened, that he perceived with amazing distinctness that he could n't understand it all. He tried hard, nay he tried with desperation, to comprehend the bearings of his hieroglyphical conceptions; but the more desperately he tried, the more profoundedly he studied, the more acutely and cunningly he reckoned, the more chaotic his intellectual faculties became, which was to his extremely sensitive feelings indeed truly terrible. At length he confidentially intimated to the widow's coachman, who was at that exciting period upon the box, that he was ardently anxious to have the benefit of his advice upon a subject of no inconsiderable importance; and the coachman, who had acquired the reputation of being rather a far-seeing individual, accordingly descended to consult him.

It was a hazy morning, and the atmosphere was like a hotbath; but even in those which are usually the most quiet streets, the carriages were rattling up to the doors, and the servants were bringing out the hampers, and all seemed to be in one universal battle. It is not, however, until they reach the point at which the carriages from all parts of the metropolis meet, that the unsophisticated are able to form a correct conception of the varied characteristics of the equipages that are to accompany them down the road. Here Stanley and the widow, neither of whom had been down before, were amazed. There was nothing in the shape of a vehicle which had not had its wheels greased expressly for the occasion; nothing in the similitude of a horse, at all likely "Coachman," said he, with a due solemnity of aspect, "did to do the six-and-thirty miles in twenty hours without giving you see that brindle in the course there just now, which cockup the ghost, which had not received an extra severe curry-ed his blessed tail mysterious atween his legs, and cut away combing, together with an additional feed of corn, with a back'ards and forrards, acause he could n't tell at all how to view of imparting respectability and spirit to his appearance get out?" on that auspicious day. Such, then, being the generally joyful state of things, of course plenty of amusement was to be found; and, as Stanley and Sir William made highly characteristic observations upon every vehicle, and every creature in every vehicle, of a remarkable character, they were all very merry, and laughed very heartily, and seemed to be the happiest of the happy.

"Now," said Sir William, as they entered the lane which leads from the town of Epsom to the Downs, "you may all go to sleep for half an hour, for this is the most tedious part of the journey."

They were not, however, disposed to go to sleep, although the line moved but slowly along; for as it did move at a pace, the consolation was conspicuous, and, on arriving at the top, the brilliant appearance of the Downs well repaid them for whatever tedium they might have experienced.

"Oh, what a lovely scene!" exclaimed the widow, directing Amelia's attention toward the hill. "Well, really now this is enchanting! Sir William, have we to go to that beautiful spot?"

"As you please," replied the Baronet; "but I think we had better get near the grand stand, where the horses will pass quite close to us.'

"That will be delightful! Oh! will it not, my love?" Amelia aseented, and directions were given to get as near the grand stand as possible, on a line with the course. On entering the enclosure, they were all highly pleased with the scene which burst upon them; but the widow-oh! she was in ecstacies! She had never, she was sure she had never in the whole course of her life beheld any thing so heavenly!— everything did look so gay, so delightful, so glorious! And then the grand stand! Well, really-she never did!-oh' nothing could surpass it!

No sooner had they taken their station than Bob duly appeared with the korses, which, when Stanley and Sir William, at the earnest solicitation of the widow, had taken some refreshment, they mounted, and rode to the wood.

Stanley was a very fair judge of a horse, and when all that were to start were brought out, one of the outsiders appeared to him to have been betted against rather too heavily. He therefore re-examined his book, and the result of that re-examination was, that he did not much like his position. Nor did Bob much like his; for, by virtue of making cross-bets, with the view of hedging, he had got into an extraordinary rithematical maze, having made divers gross and disgraceful

"In course," replied the coachman, "I did."

"Well, then, I'm just in that identical speeches of mess. There's lots of ways to get out; but I know no more how than that brindle, which makes it just as bad as if there wasn't.' Werry good; but if you'll just convert that into reg'lar English, I shall be able to understand it, perhaps."

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Why, don't you see!" exclaimed Bob, disgusted with the extreme dullness of the fellow's perception. "Don't I tell you I'm in a blessed mess here, and want you to show me how to see my way out on it! Do you know any thing at all about betting?"

Why, it strikes me I do, as well as here and there one." "Then cast your invincibles over this book." Here Bob pointed out his hieroglyphics. "Them means brandy-andwater,-them rum-and-water,-them fourpenn'orths,-them ale, and them there, where two ha'pences is, means of course, half-and half. Now, just look deliberate over that, and then tell me exact how I stand. There's a trump!"

The coachman took the book, and studied the state of things intently, while Bob, with much earnestness watched his emotions. At length, with gravity, he spoke to this effect:

"I say, though, my buffer, wort have you bin at! You're the boy to make money by bettin'!"

"What's the matter?" cried Bob, who felt really alarmed. "Wort's the matter! Look here! You've just managed it dexterous so, that if that 'ere oss do n't win, you lose pretty nigh all the lot; and if even he does win you don't win a

Why, how do you make that out?" demanded Bob, indignantly.

"How do I make it hout! Why, look here-look at them there brandies-an'-water-why, they 're hevery indiwidual one on 'em agin you!"

"How do you mean? Have n't I taken seven to twe, four or five time over?"

I know you have; but have n't you hedged off there by giving four to one on the same oss, four or five times over? Do n't you see! As far as the fourpenn'orths goes, it do n't matter which wins: it's like giving two fardens for a ha'penny; but you 're in for the brandy-and-water, and you 're in for the ale, and you 're in for the whole mob of arf-andarf."

Bob stood for a moment as if petrified. The spirit of incredulity took possession of him at first, and caused him to

have a most profound contempt for his friend's calculating | had been decided in his favor. He held it, therefore, to be a faculty, albeit he did strongly feel that there was a horrible hitch somewhere; but when it had been pointed out to him distinctly how the various gross mistakes had been made, he perspired with great freedom, and looked dreadfully cut up.

Well," said he, scratching his head with unexampled perseverance, "I'm a donkey-I know it-I know I'm a donkey, and so I do n't want to be told. As the French says, this is a out-and-out case of horse de combat. You are right -oh! I see regular plain that you are right. If the favorite do n't do the trick, perhaps I sha' n't be in a pickle! and the favorite 's no favorite of mine."

"You've seed the osses all on 'em, have n't yer? Is there any one you particular fancy?”

"Why, yes, there's a little un there; but there's fifty to one against him, so he can't be no sort, though he looks as if he might be."

Now, take my adwice: you go and get all the hods you can agin the field. Never mind any oss-take the field.That's the only way to perwent you bein' mucked of the whole squaddy."

"I see! I see! Here, catch hold a minute. I won't be gone long. I know where to find a few trumps as gives odds. But may I be smothered!"

Swelling with indignation at his dense stupidity, and cherishing a bright and most beautiful hope, Bob started with the view of honorably taking in some gentleman whom he had the felicity to number among his friends. The news, however, had spread that the field was sure to win; all wished to take the very odds that he wished to take. In vain he endeavored to inspire them with the belief that they thereby stood in their own light: they would n't have it: they pronounced it simultaneously "no go." Thus foiled, thus deceived, and that, too, in a quarter in which he had reposed the utmost confidence, and in which he had centered every hope, his heart sank within him as he returned to communicate the melancholy fact to his friend. It was then that he felt that he was in the hands of fate-it was then that he promised, that if in this his extremity fate would but be propitious, no power on earth should ever induce him to be so consummate a donkey again. And yet-why-who could tell? The favorite the favorite was a good horse-a capital horse! He did n't like the look of him much, but he might win-he ought to win-nay, on reflection, he would win. He resolved to entertain no doubt about the matter, for every doubt was painful. Hurrah for the favorite! The favorite against the field! The favorite for a thousand! The favorite for ever! He was not going then to lie down in a ditch and die!

matter of no material importance; and, having politely declined the pressing invitation of Stanley to partake of their refreshments, he begged that he might have the honor of a call at the United Service Club in the morning, as on settling day the probability was that he should have to leave town.

The widow, who playfully affected to be very indignant indeed with that tiresome thing of a horse, which had been the cause of her losing a dozen pair of gloves to Amelia, now ordered the hampers to be opened, and when the leaf of a table had been adjusted upon the doors of the carriage, it was speedily covered with the viands she had prepared, and they all ate heartily, with the collateral enjoyment of the scene around them, which was certainly one of great excitement and splendor.

They had, however, no sooner commenced their repast than the widow's benevolence was powerfully excited; for a party of four ladies and two gentlemen, who occupied the carriage next to hers, had to their horror found, on their hamper being opened, that the new rope by which it had been suspended from the axle had stretched to an extent that enabled the hamper in little hilly parts of the road to come in contact with the ground with sufficient violence to break to atoms the dishes, bottles, and glasses, and thereby to mix them and the provisions together; and truly to the eye it was a most unpleasing mixture, inasmuch as the pie-crust was saturated with wine, the broken glass had worked its way into the chickens, the pigeons with the gravy were mixed up with stout and straw, while the ham had been made by the fragments of the bottles to appear as if it had been nibbled by a legion of rats.

The widow, when she saw their distress, felt for them acutely, and sent to beg their acceptance of one of her pies, and part of her ham, with a pair of her chickens, and so on, which they did not by any means like to receive; but, on being warmly pressed, they at length consented to accept them, provided they were also presented with a card, which proviso was agreed to, and all were made happy.

Immediately after their repast, Stanley and Sir William remounted their horses, being anxious to make a few bets upon the next race; and, while they were gone, Bob, the widow's servants, and the post boys, commenced operations upon the refreshments which had been left, and which, as the widow was exceedingly liberal with her wine, they all amazingly enjoyed, with the exception of Bob, whose spirit was painfully perturbed. He was haunted by his erroneous calculations, and spectres of innumerable glasses of brandy and-water, and rows of pots of ale and half-and-half, which really seemed to The bell rang, and all were on the qui vive. The most have no end, flitted before him as merrily as if they were earnest anxiety prevailed. The next two minutes were to overjoyed at the fact of his having to pay for them all. The decide that in which all seemed interested deeply. Had only question with him was, how could he get out of his em every man present had all he possessed in the world then at barrassed position ?—and his utter inability to conceive a satstake, his suspense at that moment could not have appeared isfactory answer to this question dealt destruction to his apmore painful. The horses started. "They are off! they are petite, and rendered him wretched. At length he managed off!" shouted thousands simultaneously, and every eye was to hit upon an expedient by which he might gain at least a strained in the direction of the hill. They appeared! They trifle towards covering his extremely heavy spirituous liabiliswept the brow with the speed of lightning! They passed ties. In the next race eight horses were to run, and he prothe corner!-they came straight up the course! Pink was posed a quiet sweepstakes, in which he got the coachman, the ahead. "Pink! pink! Bravo, pink. Yellow! yellow!-footman, and one of the postilions to join. He then tore a Go along, pink! Blue!-Green!-Red!" nay, every color in piece of paper into eight, and having established the numbers the rainbow was shouted, in order to urge each along. The respectively thereon, and folded and put them into his hat, post was gained. Two seemed neck and neck. Few at the each subscribed half a crown, and then drew two numbers, moment could tell which had won; but as one of the two was and Bob's were the first and second horses on the list. the favorite, Bob shouted, "The favorite! the favorite! Oh! hollow!" And he leaped like a deer from the back of the carriage, and opened his shoulders, and rubbed his hands, and patted his horses, and slapped his thigh, and threw himself at once into a state of ecstasy the most delicious. The next moment a sound reached his ear-a sound which made him tremble! He turned towards the winning-post, and there he beheld-the number of an outsider! The favorite had lost! Instantly his countenance fell. He slapped his thigh no more. He struck Marmion on the nose for presuming to snort at such a moment, conceiving it to be in the abstract highly reprehensible, and sank into an awful state of melancholic gloom.

Sir William, of course, was delighted, but he studied to conceal his delight at the time; while Stanley, who had brought himself pretty nearly home, having won all his bets with the Major, congratulated himself on having backed his own judgement. The Major did not appear to be much depressed. He was a loser, he said, it was true, but not to any great amount, having taken a variety of other bets, which

"Well," thought he, "this is something." And so it was; and he began to eat a little, and to feel somewhat better.— Half a sovereign would indisputably pay for ten good shilling glasses. There could be no miscalculation about that, although he quite forgot his own small subscription,—which perhaps was as well, for his mind was the more at ease, and the consequence was that he eventually made a very highly respectable meal.

The bell rang again for the course to be cleared, and Stanley and Sir William returned.

"Well, which is the best horse?" inquired the widow.
"The favorite," replied Stanley, “I should say in this

race.

"The favorite:-Well, Amelia and I are going to have another bet."

"Indeed," said Amelia, “I do not understand it." "Nor do I, my love, much; but we must have a bet. Now I'll bet you-let me see-a satin dress!-and you shall have which horse you please."

"That will be about two to one," observed Stanley.

own common sense ought to have told me it was nothing but a regular dead take in! Here's things!" he continued, holding the sovereigns again before his wondering eyes. "Here's muck! Here's a blessed five shillings' worth! Don't I wish I could see that there varmint anywheres about here? Would n't I give him a leetle pepper?