The Merry Past 



At another time he flew into a tremendous rage 

 with an English groom calling him a '' dem hamburg." 

 " No," said the fellow, " Fm English," indignant at 

 the idea of being taken for a sausage eater. 



Mr. Cresswell's field looked peculiar, for, with 

 the exception of the gentlemen who hunted the 

 hounds, there were never two coats alike. A glorious 

 diversity prevailed in the way of collars, cuffs, and 

 buttons, and, as the English papers observed, " the 

 hunt was chiefly conspicuous for the scarlet jackets 

 of the riders and the sorriness of the steeds " ; and 

 every man who could beg, borrow, or steal a horse 

 for the day was sure to appear in a red coat, with, 

 perhaps, his " lower extremities " cased in white 

 ducks, or black dress kerseymeres and Wellington 

 boots ! 



At the commencement of the season, when the 

 hunting was chiefly confined to the warrens (a sort of 

 sandy, bad-scenting, uncomfortable country), things 

 went on pretty smoothly ; but the drafting of the 

 harriers, the assumption of the scarlet coat, and the 

 breaking down a few fences, were the signals for the 

 hostile powers to arise. 



There were, nevertheless, several of the French 

 aristocracy who were not only excellent sportsmen, 

 but staunch supporters of the hunt. Among these 

 may be mentioned one family in particular — that of 

 the Baron Le Cordier (the Sous-prefet of the Ar- 

 rondissement), and his brothers-in-law, the Messieurs 

 de Trevis. 



The pack eventually ceased to hunt, owing to an 



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