'Humph' grunted Mr. Romford, seeing his worst fears about to be realized. He had dreamt that he had timbled over a poodle in the drawing-room, and squirted a bottle of porter right into a lady's face. 'Who's goin' besides ourselves' asked Romford, wishing to know the worst at once. 'Better be killed than frightened to death,' thought he.

Robert Smith Surtees

There is no secret so close as that between a rider and his horse.

Robert Smith Surtees

riding horse secret

More people are flattered into virtue than bullied out of vice.

Robert Smith Surtees

hypocrisy integrity people

Some think that people come to a ball to do nothing but dance; whereas everyone knows that the real business of a ball is to look out for a wife, to look after a wife, or to look after someone else's wife.

Robert Smith Surtees

dance real thinking

Women never look so well as when one comes in wet and dirty from hunting.

Robert Smith Surtees

hunting looks dirty

It ar'n't that I loves the fox less, but that I loves the 'ound more.

Robert Smith Surtees

foxes

Life would be very pleasant if it were not for its enjoyments.

Robert Smith Surtees

pleasant enjoyment would-be

The horse loves the hound, and I loves both.

Robert Smith Surtees

hounds horse

The only infallible rule we know is, that the man who is always talking about being a gentleman never is one.

Robert Smith Surtees

gentleman talking men

There are three sorts of lawyers - able, unable and lamentable.

Robert Smith Surtees

able three funny

Better be killed than frightened to death.

Robert Smith Surtees

frightened

There is no secret closer than what passes between a man and his horse

Robert Smith Surtees

horse secret men

The supply of good fellows is by no means in excess of the demand. A man has only to hoist the flag of hospitality to insure a very considerable amount of custom.

Robert Smith Surtees

flags men mean

No man rides harder than my Lord Scamperdale - always goes as if he had a spare neck in his pocket.

Robert Smith Surtees

necks pockets men

It is an inwariable rule with the dealers to praise the bad points and let the good 'uns speak for themselves.

Robert Smith Surtees

dealer speak praise

No one knows how ungentlemanly he can look, until he has seen himself in a shocking bad hat.

Robert Smith Surtees

hats know-how looks

The country has its charms-cheapness for one.

Robert Smith Surtees

cheapness charm country

Three things I never lends - my 'oss, my wife, and my name.

Robert Smith Surtees

wife three names