“I have the honor to be, &c, &c,
“Val M’Clutchy.”

The following is the circular alluded to above—­

“Sir:  As a proposal to raise an additional yeomanry corps of respectable cavalry in Castle Cumber and its vicinity is about to be submitted to the Lord Lieutenant, in order to receive his approbation, your presence is requested at Sam Company’s Castle Cumber Arms, at twelve o’clock on Friday next, when it is proposed to name officers, and adopt such further measures as may appear most conducive to the embodiment of the corps with expedition and effect.

“I am, sir,
“Your humble servant,
“Henry Hartley.”

To his letter Val received the following reply—­

“Belgrave Square.

“Dear Sir:  I received your letter, and perfectly agree with you as to the offensive nature of Mr. Hartley’s circular, many of which I have had in my possession for some time past.  With respect to him, I have only to say, that he and I have agreed to arrange that matter between us, as soon as I reach Castle Cumber.  I am sorry that any of my tenants should deserve the character which M’Loughlin and his partner have received at your hand; I dare say, however, that if they did not deserve it they would not get it.  The arrangements for their removal, of course I leave as I hitherto have left everything within the sphere of your duty, to your own sense of honesty and justice. Do not, however, take harsh or sudden steps.  In the meantime lose not a moment in remitting the needful.

“Yours, &c,
“Cumber.”

It is not at all likely that Lord Cumber would ever have noticed Hartley’s circular, or troubled himself about the formation of the new corps in the slightest degree were it not for the malignity of M’Clutchy, who not only hated the whole family of the Hartleys from the same principle on which a knave hates an honest man, but in remembrance of that gentleman’s cousin having, in his office, and in his own presence, kicked his son Phil and pulled his nose.  When enclosing the circular, therefore, to his lordship, he underlined the word “respectable,” by which it was made to appear deliberately offensive.  Whether it was used with the design of reflecting upon the licentious violence of the blood-hounds, we pretend not to say, but we can safely affirm that the word in the original document was never underlined by Hartley.  Lord Cumber, like his old father, was no coward, and the consequence was, that having once conceived the belief that the offensive term in the circular was levelled at his own corps—­although he had never even seen it—­he, on the receipt of M’Clutchy’s letter, came to the determination of writing to Hartley upon the subject.

Lord Cumber to Henry Hartley, Esq.:—­