'But who the deuce would think of going to work with one horse; or two
either, if you insist on calling the old pony a huntress? I'll put you
up to a trick, my lad: if you stand that you'll stand anything; and if
you don't mean to go in leading-strings all your life, now is the time
to show it. There's young Baker--Harry Baker, you know--he came of age
last year, and he has as pretty a string of nags as any one would wish
to set eyes on; four hunters and a hack. Now, if old Baker has four
thousand a year it's every shilling he has got.'

This was true, and Frank Gresham, who in the morning had been made so
happy by his father's present of a horse, began to feel that hardly
enough had been done for him. It was true that Mr Baker had only four
thousand a year; but it was also true that he had no other child than
Harry Baker; that he had no great establishment to keep up; that he
owed a shilling to no one; and, also, that he was a great fool in
encouraging a mere boy to ape all the caprices of a man of wealth.
Nevertheless, for a moment, Frank Gresham did feel that, considering
his position, he was being treated rather unworthily.

'Take the matter in your own hands, Frank,' said the Honourable John,
seeing the impression that he had made. 'Of course the governor knows
very well that you won't put up with such a stable as that. Lord bless
you! I have heard that when he married my aunt, and that was when he
was about your age, he had the best stud in the whole county; and then
he was in Parliament before he was three-and-twenty.'

'His father, you know, died when he was very young,' said Frank.

'Yes; I know he had a stroke of luck that doesn't fall to everyone;