Heusedtotakehimoutofmorningswhentheywouldgotothestablestogetherandtothepark。LittleLordSouthdown，thebest-naturedofmen，whowouldmakeyouapresentofthehatfromhishead，andwhosemainoccupationinlifewastobuyknick-knacksthathemightgivethemawayafterwards，boughtthelittlechapaponynotmuchbiggerthanalargerat，thedonorsaid，andonthislittleblackShetlandpygmyyoungRawdon’sgreatfatherwaspleasedtomounttheboy，andtowalkbyhissideinthepark。Itpleasedhimtoseehisoldquarters，andhisoldfellow-guardsmenatKnightsbridge：
hehadbeguntothinkofhisbachelorhoodwithsomethinglikeregret。Theoldtroopersweregladtorecognizetheirancientofficeranddandlethelittlecolonel。
ColonelCrawleyfounddiningatmessandwithhisbrother-officersverypleasant。”Hangit，Iain’tcleverenoughforher——Iknowit。Shewon’tmissme。”heusedtosay：andhewasright，hiswifedidnotmisshim。
Rebeccawasfondofherhusband。Shewasalwaysperfectlygood-humouredandkindtohim。Shedidnotevenshowherscornmuchforhim；perhapsshelikedhimthebetterforbeingafool。Hewasherupperservantandmaitred’hotel。Hewentonhererrands；obeyedherorderswithoutquestion；droveinthecarriageintheringwithherwithoutrepining；tookhertotheopera-box，solacedhimselfathisclubduringtheperformance，andcamepunctuallybacktofetchherwhendue。Hewouldhavelikedhertobealittlefonderoftheboy，buteventothathereconciledhimself。”Hangit，youknowshe’ssoclever。”hesaid，“andI’mnotliteraryandthat，youknow。”For，aswehavesaidbefore，itrequiresnogreatwisdomtobeabletowinatcardsandbilliards，andRawdonmadenopretensionstoanyothersortofskill。
Whenthecompanioncame，hisdomesticdutiesbecameverylight。Hiswifeencouragedhimtodineabroad：shewouldlethimoffdutyattheopera。”Don’tstayandstupefyyourselfathometo-night，mydear。”