Now, 'me Oncle Gilroy,' of whom Facey was constantly talking, had a
left-handed wife and promising family in the sylvan retirement of St.
John's Wood, whither he used to retire after his business in 'Smi'fiel''
was over; so that Facey, for once, was out in his calculations. Gilroy,
however, being as knowing as 'his nevvey,' as he called him, just
encouraged Facey in his shooting, fishing, and idle propensities generally,
doubtless finding it more convenient to have his fish and game for nothing
than to pay for them.
Facey, having the apparently inexhaustible sum of a thousand pounds, began
life as a fox-hunter--in a very small way, to be sure--more for the purpose
of selling horses than anything else; but, having succeeded in 'doing' all
the do-able gentlemen, both with the 'Tip and Go' and Cranerfield hounds,
his occupation was gone, it requiring an extended field--such as our friend
Sponge roamed--to carry on cheating in horses for any length of time. Facey
was soon blown, his name in connexion with a horse being enough to prevent
any one looking at him.
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