’What I want is your Lordship to send me a line, just stating your Lordship’s opinion that I didn’t do it, and didn’t have nothing to do with it;—­which I didn’t.  There was a meeting at The Bobtailed Fox yesterday, and gentlemen was all of one mind to go by what your Lordship would say.  I couldn’t desire nothing fairer.  So I hope your Lordship will stand to me now, and write something that will pull me through.  ’With all respects I beg to remain, Your Lordship’s most dutiful Servant, T. Tifto.’

There was something in this letter which the Major himself did not quite approve.  There was an absence of familiarity about it which annoyed him.  He would have liked to call upon his late partner to declare that a more honourable man than Major Tifto had never been known on the turf.  But he felt himself to be so far down in the world that it was not safe for him to hold an opinion of his own, even against the livery-stable keeper!

Silverbridge was for a time in doubt whether he should answer the letters at all, and if so how he should answer them.  In regard to Mr Jawstock and the meeting at large, he regarded the application as an impertinence.  But as to Tifto himself, he vacillated between pity, contempt, and absolute condemnation.  Everybody had assured him that the man had certainly been guilty.  The fact that he had made bets against their joint horse,—­bets as to which he had said nothing till after the race was over,—­had been admitted by himself.  And yet it was possible that the man might not be such a rascal as to be unfit to manage the Runnymede hounds.  Having himself got rid of Tifto, he would have been glad that the poor wretch should have been left with his hunting honours.  But he did not think that he could write to his late partner any letter that would preserve those honours to him.

At Tregear’s advice he referred the matter to Mr Lupton.  Mr Lupton was of opinion that both the letters should be answered, but that the answer to each should be very short.  ’There is a prejudice about the world just at present,’ said Mr Lupton, ’in favour of answering letters.  I don’t see why I am to be subjected to an annoyance because another man has taken a liberty.  But it is better to submit to public opinion.  Public opinion thinks that letter should be answered.’  Then Mr Lupton dictated the answers.

’Lord Silverbridge presents his compliments to Mr Jawstock, and begs to say that he does not feel himself called upon to express any opinion as to Major Tifto’s conduct at Doncaster.’

That was the first.  The second was rather less simple, but not much longer.

’Sir,

’I do not feel myself called upon to express any opinion either to you or to others as to your conduct at Doncaster.  Having received a letter on the subject from Mr Jawstock I have written to him to this effect.

’Your obedient Servant,
Silverbridge.’