On the Tuesday morning there was a good deal of bustle at Kelly's
Court. All the boys about the place were collected in front of the
house, to walk the gentlemen's horses about while the riders were at
breakfast, and earn a sixpence or a fourpenny bit; and among them,
sitting idly on the big steppingstone placed near the door, was Jack
the fool, who, for the day, seemed to have deserted the service of
Barry Lynch.

And now the red-coats flocked up to the door, and it was laughable
to see the knowledge of character displayed by the gossoons in the
selection of their customers. One or two, who were known to be "bad
pays," were allowed to dismount without molestation of any kind, and
could not even part with their steeds till they had come to an absolute
bargain as to the amount of gratuity to be given. Lambert Brown was one
of these unfortunate characters--a younger brother who had a little,
and but a very little money, and who was determined to keep that. He
was a miserable hanger-on at his brother's house, without profession
or prospects; greedy, stingy, and disagreeable; endowed with a squint,
and long lank light-coloured hair: he was a bad horseman, always
craning and shirking in the field, boasting and lying after dinner;
nevertheless, he was invited and endured because he was one of the
Browns of Mount Dillon, cousin to the Browns of Castle Brown, nephew to
Mrs Dillon the member's wife, and third cousin of Lord Ballaghaderrin.

He dismounted in the gravel circle before the door, and looked round
for someone to take his horse; but none of the urchins would come to
him. At last he caught hold of a little ragged boy whom he knew, from
his own side of the country, and who had come all the way there, eight
long Irish miles, on the chance of earning sixpence and seeing a hunt.