"You are quite right; he did. Very well."

"Does he lay hold on you at all, Mr. Bacon?"

"Not a bit."

"Light in the mouth, a clever jumper, and a free goer."

"All three."

"Yes, he's the right sort, he is, sir; and if ever you feel disposed to
sell him, I could, may be, find you a customer."

Accepting this as a delicate intimation that Mr. Fortescue had taken a
fancy to the horse and would like to buy him, I told Jim that I was quite
willing to sell at a fair price.

"And what might you consider a fair price, if it is a fair question?"
asked the man.

"A hundred guineas," I answered; for, as I knew that Mr. Fortescue would
not "look at a horse," as Tawney put it, under that figure, it would have
been useless to ask less.

"Very well, sir. I will speak to my master, and let you know."

Ranger, as I called the horse, was a purchase of Alston's. Liking his
looks (though Bertie was really a very indifferent judge), he had bought
him out of a hansom-cab for forty pounds, and after a little "schooling,"