'Now, Buckram,' said he, 'I'll tell you how it is. I'm deuced
hard-up--regularly in Short's Gardens. I lost eighteen 'undred on the
Derby, and seven on the Leger, the best part of my year's income, indeed;
and I just want to hire two or three horses for the season, with the option
of buying, if I like; and if you supply me well, I may be the means of
bringing grist to your mill; you twig, eh?'

'Well, Mr. Sponge,' replied Buckram, sliding several consecutive
half-crowns down the incline plane of his pocket. 'Well, Mr. Sponge, I
shall be happy to do my best for you. I wish you'd come yesterday, though,
as I said before, I jest had two of the neatest nags--a bay and a grey--not
that colour makes any matter to a judge like you; there's no sounder sayin'
than that a good oss is not never of a bad colour; only to a young gemman,
you know, it's well to have 'em smart, and the ticket, in short;
howsomever, I must do the best I can for you, and if there's nothin' in
that tickles your fancy, why, you must give me a few days to see if I can
arrange an exchange with some other gent; but the present is like to be a
werry haggiwatin' season; had more happlications for osses nor ever I
remembers, and I've been a dealer now, man and boy, turned of
eight-and-thirty years; but young gents is whimsical, and it was a young
'un wot got these, and there's no sayin' but he mayn't like them--indeed,
one's rayther difficult to ride--that's to say, the grey, the neatest of
the two, and he _may_ come back, and if so, you shall have him; and a
safer, sweeter oss was never seen, or one more like to do credit to a gent:
but you knows what an oss is, Mr. Sponge, and can do justice to me, and I
should like to put summut good into your hands--_that_ I should.'

With conversation, or rather with balderdash, such as this, Mr. Buckram
beguiled the few minutes necessary for removing the bandages, hiding the