They then struck up a mixture of broken English and
equally broken French, in mutual inquiries after each
other’s healths and movements, and presuming
that Mr. Jorrocks was following up the sporting trade
in Paris, the Baron most considerately gave him his
best recommendations which horse to back, kindly betting
with him himself, but, unfortunately, at each time
assigning Mr. Jorrocks the losing horse. At length,
being completely cleaned out, he declined any further
transactions, and having got the Countess into the
cab, was in the act of climbing in himself, when someone
took him by the sword as he was hoisting himself up
by the wooden apron, and drew him back to the ground.
“Holloa, Stubbs, my boy!” cried he, “I’m
werry ’appy to see ye,” holding out his
hand, and thereupon Mr. Stubbs took off his hat to
the Countess. “Well now, the deuce be in
these French,” observed Mr. Jorrocks, confidentially,
in an undertone as, resigning the reins to Agamemnon,
he put his arm through the Yorkshireman’s and
drew out of hearing of the Countess behind the cab—“the
deuce be in them. I say. There’s that
beggarly Baron as we met at Newmarket has just diddled
me out of four Naps and a half, by getting me to back
’osses that he said were certain to win, and
I really don’t know how we are to make ‘tongue
and buckle’ meet, as the coachmen say.
Somehow or other they are far too sharp for me.
Cards, dominoes, dice, backgammon, and racing, all
one—they inwariably beat me, and I declare
I haven’t as much pewter as will coach me to
Calais.” The Yorkshireman, as may be supposed,
was not in a condition of any great pecuniary assistance,
but after a turn or two along the mound, he felt it
would be a reproach on his country if he suffered
his friend to be done by a Frenchman, and on consideration
he thought of a trick that Monsieur would not be up
to. Accordingly, desiring Mr. Jorrocks to take
him to the Baron, and behave with great cordiality,
and agree to the proposal he should make, they set
off in search of that worthy, who, after some trouble,
they discovered in the “Cottage of Content,”
entertaining John Jones and his comrades with an account
of the manner in which he had fleeced Monsieur Shorrock.
The Yorkshireman met him with the greatest delight,
shook hands with him over and over again, and then
began talking about racing, pigeon-shooting, and Newmarket,
pretended to be full of money, and very anxious for
the Baron’s advice in laying it out. On
hearing this, the Baron beckoned him to retire, and
joining him in the avenue, walked him up and down,
while he recommended his backing a horse that was
notoriously amiss. The Yorkshireman consented,
lost a Nap with great good humour, and banteringly
told the Baron he thought he could beat the horse
on foot. This led them to talk of foot-racing
and at last the Yorkshireman offered to bet that Mr.
Jorrocks would run fifty yards with him on his back,
before the Baron would run a hundred. Upon this
the Baron scratched his head and looked very knowing,