The Merry Past 



tionary Government allowed the force of her plea, 

 and set her at liberty to enjoy one-half of her fortune : 

 the remainder was otherwise disposed of. Out of 

 gratitude to her hounds, to whom she owed her 

 safety, she continued to keep them in honourable 

 comfort at Zudguerke, though they never went out 

 except for exercise. They consisted of about fifteen 

 couple — large dogs, in colour black and white, a 

 buckhound in the body, a foxhound in the head ; 

 the ears somewhat large for the latter, but too small 

 for the former. Their huntsman was a chubby- 

 faced fellow, as much of a clodhopper as a French- 

 man could be. Her plea of this pack having rid her 

 neighbourhood of wolves was absolutely based upon 

 fact, and on the doors of the kennel, stables, and 

 great gate were nailed the emblems of the Baroness's 

 daring achievements — in the form of several wolf 

 heads, blanched and withered from their long ex- 

 posure to the air. 



She kept no good horses, but admired and under- 

 stood the good points about one. She herself had 

 always ridden astride, and according to an old picture 

 looked when on horseback something like one of the 

 " Blues." 



The only sport she pursued in her latter days was 

 cock-fighting, and there was a regular cock-pit in 

 the courtyard, where mains were fought in the 

 presence of several spectators, at which she always 

 presided. In other respects her pursuits were those 

 of a lady of the old school. For several hours every 

 day she played at piquet with a female friend. 



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