The Life of a Great Sportsman 



went to the stables together to mount our respective steeds. I 

 could not help noticing how the Captain's hands shook even 

 then, and it was a case of a glass of cognac administered by his 

 valet before he could even mount and away with any degree of 

 calmness or comfort. On our ride to the course over which 

 the trial was to be ridden nothing could exceed the Captain's 

 urbanity, opening gates, and had I been a queen riding beside 

 him he could not have been more chivalrous. 



Then came the great trial, and although I was by no means 

 "in the know," it evidently passed off to the satisfaction of 

 those who were, for we all returned together to the house, and 

 a merrier breakfast party never gathered round a table for that 

 delectable meal. 



Even the proverbially shy and silent Mr. Robert Walker 

 was guilty on this occasion of perpetrating a joke which caused 

 much laughter. Our party being considerably larger than 

 usual, the egg-stand had overflowed and some eggs were 

 propped against the others lucky enough to be accommodated 

 in the egg-cups. One of these itinerant eggs fell down, upon 

 which the usually reserved " Bob " exclaimed, amidst dead 

 silence, " There's one of 'em down, anyhow ! " 



Another frequent visitor to us at Limber was the Freiherr 

 Jacques von Shavel, a Viennese gentleman with most charming 

 manners and great kindliness of heart, who in his own country 

 was quite as well known a personage as Captain Machell in 

 ours — perhaps even better. He was a friend of both my 

 brothers, more particularly, however, of the eldest, Willie, who 

 was a good German scholar ; whereas Maunsell had no language 

 but his own, and thought that no country could hold a candle 

 to England. But to both my brothers Herr von Shavel 

 remained a staunch and true friend, never failing to come and 

 see them if possible whenever he came to England ; and in the 



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