off. I went away as Mephistopheles and his man were mounting their second
horses, which had just been brought up by the two grooms in livery.

My way lay by Matching Green, and as I stopped at the village inn to
refresh my horse with a pail of gruel and myself with a glass of ale, who
should come up but old Tawney, Tom Cuffe's second horseman! Besides being
an adept at his calling, familiar with every cross-road and almost every
field in the county, he knew nearly as well as a hunted fox himself which
way the creature meant to run. Tawney was a great gossip, and quite a mine
of curious information about things equine and human--especially about
things equine. Here was a chance not to be neglected of learning something
about Mephistopheles; so after warming Tawney's heart and opening his lips
with a glass of hot whiskey punch, I began:

"You've got a new first whip, I see."

"Yes, sir, name of Cobbe--Paul Cobbe. He comes from the Berkshire country,
he do, sir."

"But how is it that Rawlings has left? and who is that gentleman he was
with to-day?"

"What! haven't you heard!" exclaimed Tawney, as surprised at my ignorance
as if I had asked him the name of the reigning sovereign.

"I have not heard, which, seeing that I spent the greater part of the
summer at sea and returned only the other day, is perhaps not greatly to
be wondered at."

"Well, the gentleman as Rawlings has gone to and as he was with to-day is