登陆注册
5169600000021

第21章

MILITARY SNOBS

Walking in the Park yesterday with my young friend Tagg, and discoursing with him upon the next number of the Snob, at the very nick of time who should pass us but two very good specimens of Military Snobs,-- the Sporting Military Snob, Capt.Rag, and the 'lurking' or raffish Military Snob, Ensign Famish.Indeed you are fully sure to meet them lounging on horseback, about five o'clock, under the trees by the Serpentine, examining critically the inmates of the flashy broughams which parade up and down 'the Lady's Mile.'

Tagg and Rag are very well acquainted, and so the former, with that candour inseparable from intimate friendship, told me his dear friend's history.Captain Rag is a small dapper north-country man.He went when quite a boy into a crack light cavalry regiment, and by the time he got his troop, had cheated all his brother officers so completely, selling them lame horses for sound ones, and winning their money by all manner of strange and ingenious contrivances, that his Colonel advised him to retire; which he did without much reluctance, accommodating a youngster, who had just entered the regiment, with a glaudered charger at an uncommonly stiff figure.

He has since devoted his time to billiards, steeple-chasing, and the turf.His head-quarters are 'Rummer's,'

in Conduit Street, where he keeps his kit; but he is ever on the move in the exercise of his vocation as a gentleman-jockey and gentleman-leg.

According to BELL'S LIFE, he is an invariable attendant at all races, and an actor in most of them.He rode the winner at Leamington; he was left for dead in a ditch a fortnight ago at Harrow; and yet there he was, last week, at the Croix de Berny, pale and determined as ever, astonishing the BADAUDS of Paris by the elegance of his seat and the neatness of his rig, as he took a preliminary gallop on that vicious brute 'The Disowned,'

before starting for 'the French Grand National.'

He is a regular attendant at the Corner, where he compiles a limited but comfortable libretto.During season he rides often in the Park, mounted on a clever well-bred pony.He is to be seen escorting celebrated horsewoman, Fanny Highflyer, or in confidential converse with Lord Thimblerig, the eminent handicapper.

He carefully avoids decent society, and would rather dine off a steak at the 'One Tun' with Sam Snaffle the jockey, Captain O'Rourke, and two or three other notorious turf robbers, than with the choicest company in London.He likes to announce at 'Rummer's' that he is going to run down and spend his Saturday and Sunday in a friendly way with Hocus, the leg, at his little box near Epsom; where, if report speak true, many 'rummish plants' are concocted.

He does not play billiards often, and never in public:

but when he does play, he always contrives to get hold of a good flat, and never leaves him till he has done him uncommonly brown.He has lately been playing a good deal with Famish.

When he makes his appearance in the drawing-room, which occasionally happens at a hunt-meeting or a race-ball, he enjoys himself extremely.

同类推荐
  • 神异典二氏部汇考

    神异典二氏部汇考

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 小清华园诗谈

    小清华园诗谈

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 脉学阐微

    脉学阐微

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 客尘医话

    客尘医话

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 离骚

    离骚

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 口袋传说

    口袋传说

    林飞是一名看似普通的高二学生,在一次事件过后,对同学林庆濠说出了自己的真实身份……不久,林飞的女友艾伦找到了林飞…………从那以后,林飞卷入了一次又一次的事件中。甚至还牵扯到银河团的惊天阴谋!最终,林飞做出了一个令人惊讶的决定……本作书友群:801242887
  • 普能嵩禅师净土诗

    普能嵩禅师净土诗

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 消除一切闪电障难随求如意陀罗尼经

    消除一切闪电障难随求如意陀罗尼经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 你在心上,爱情那么长

    你在心上,爱情那么长

    我记得答应秦江灏的求婚那天,屋外下着倾盆大雨,他一身湿的像水鬼一样的跑来我家,直接干脆的说要和我结婚。我觉得他是脑子进水了,但我却脑抽的答应了他。我俩性格其实一直都不和,但偏偏被一纸婚书扣在一起,他有喜欢的人,而我喜欢他,我们明明有名无实,可他却和我做了不该做的事。我怀了我们的孩子,可他还是不爱我,没有感情的婚姻和家庭意味着没有存在的意义。我打掉了我和他的孩子,将离婚协议书摆在他的面前。他却面色狰狞的掐着我的脖子,让我还他的孩子……
  • 笑话集

    笑话集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 健康是一种责任

    健康是一种责任

    只有你健康,你的家人才会幸福,所以书说,健康并不是你一个人的事情。本书述说一切应该远离的不健康因素,让自己更加理智地对待自己的身体状况,改善不良生活习惯。
  • 梵少的甜心腹黑小恶魔

    梵少的甜心腹黑小恶魔

    [高级宠文]白凯蒂为了梵宇从此回国……“宝贝,过来”梵宇天天把白凯蒂搞的都怕拍的“不要,你滚开……”白凯蒂天天被梵宇宠的都害怕了“宝贝,这就不乖了”说好的高冷呢、腹黑呢?都去哪儿了,通通都是骗人的,明明就是个闷骚男好吗!!!白凯蒂看回梵宇,道:“你不是高冷的男神吗?怎么现在确是一个闷骚男呀......”白凯蒂非常的生气看着梵宇,可是,在梵宇的眼里确是满满的溺宠“宝贝,因为我只对你”......
  • 乡村档案

    乡村档案

    讲述的是西岭市西安县苦藤河乡因一条河挡住了出路,交通不便,农民的生活贫苦,苦藤河乡的祖祖辈辈都盼望在苦藤河上修一座桥。可苦藤河乡的主要领导却将农民修桥的血汗钱中饱私囊。新来的乡党委书记为了办政绩工程,早日调回县城,再一次集资修桥,致使农民与乡政府严重对立,酿成大祸;农民聚众砸乡政府、县纪委书记险遭谋害、漂亮女孩暴死灭尸……一桩桩一件件触目惊心的事实,迫使苦藤河乡的农民们团结一心,与邪恶势力展开了一轮又一轮较量……
  • 致命的败局:企业绝境案例研究

    致命的败局:企业绝境案例研究

    在日益多元化和不确定性因素增多的今天,危机情势的出现甚至成为企业必须有效应对的一种常态。事实上,每一次危机既包含导致失败的根源,又孕育着成功的种子。发现、拯救、培育,以便捕捉这个潜在成功的机会,便是危机管理的精髓;而忽略或者错误地估计形势,令事态进一步恶化,则是不良危机管理的典型特征。
  • 龙跃星海

    龙跃星海

    一个需要完成任务才能回家的故事无人能完成的任务所幸它非人