CAPTAIN MARKHAM. 7 



November, 18 — , the general conversation ran most undeniably 

 on sporting subjects, although in the presence of some of the 

 fair sex, who, by their approving looks and eager attention, 

 seemed anything but gene with the topic ; in fact, an hour had 

 passed thus agreeably, when Bob Conyers, looking at the clock 

 on the chimney slab, suddenly started up, exclaiming, " By 

 Jove ! Will, the time is up." 



" No hurry, Bob, this morning ! — there are lots of fellows 

 nocking in, who will require a little jumping powder as well as 

 yourself, this fine bracing morning, and we must give them half 

 an hour's law on the opening day." 



" "Very well, my boy," replied Bob ; " once in a way, it don't 

 signify, although half an hour, on such a morning as this, is a 

 great sacrifice to make for these idle dandies, besides the nuisance 

 they are in the field, always spoiling sport ; and here comes 

 that long-legged Captain Markham, who is always riding over 

 hounds when they come to a check, but he can't live twenty 

 minutes with them on a good scenting day. To look at his 

 covert hack, one would think he had been riding a steeple 

 chase already this morning. Poor little mare ! how she blows ! 

 and all this haste, merely because he chooses to loiter over his 

 toilet and breakfast table just an hour longer than it would 

 take any other man but a dandy. Such a contrast to his 

 worthy old father, Sir Lionel — worth a hundred of such puppies ! 

 Dick Vernon (who, by the way, is only one remove from the 

 Captain) told me a good story about him. He had dined and 

 slept at Barton Court the day before our winding up last season, 

 and the Captain being behind time, as usual, at the breakfast 

 table next morning, Dick walked into his room to hurry him a 

 little, and there found the worthy sitting coolly in his easy 

 chair, in his dressing gown and slippers, surveying half a dozen 

 pairs of buckskins, all ranged in order, on a line of chairs across 

 the room. 



" l Halloa ! what's the matter, Markham 1 f exclaimed 

 Dick ; ' seedy, I conclude, with a splitting headache ? ' 



" ' Oh, no, my fine fellow ! all right enough there — had a 

 bottle of soda water, to cool the copper, half an hour ago ; but 

 those leathers look so bewitchingly inviting, that, 'pon honour, 

 I can't make up my mind which to patronise.' 



"'Oh, indeed!' replied Yernon, 'if that's the only diffi- 

 culty, we'll soon cut the Gordian knot ; ' so taking the hearth 

 brush, Dick drew it across the three nearest pairs, when the 

 Captain sprung from his chair to prevent further disfiguration 



