104 MEN OF PAST DAYS 



early hour in the morning till late in the evening, he at 

 last waded a brook up to his armpits to enable him to 

 get within reach, unobserved, of a herd of well-antlered 

 deer. This he accomplished satisfactorily. But, to his 

 great disgust, on pulling the trigger he found that his 

 keeper by some unaccountable thoughtlessness had not 

 loaded his rifle. For this neglect the unfortunate man 

 paid a heavy penalty. 



I have not yet spoken of the eldest brother, the late 

 Duke, in those days known as the Marquis of Titchfield. 

 I never remember to have heard that he had any love 

 for, or was in any way connected with, field-sports. But 

 ill-health probably was the cause of this, rather than 

 want of inclination. At all events, I never saw him on 

 a racecourse, or heard of his making a bet. He once 

 came to Danebury in the height of summer, dressed in 

 a long, heavy sable-fur coat, that nearly touched the 

 ground when he stood erect a garment, I should have 

 thought, more calculated to resist the inclemency of a 

 Siberian winter than the overpowering heat of a mid- 

 summer-day ; but perhaps, like a certain person I have 

 heard of, he ' thought what would keep the cold out, 

 would the heat as well.' He was, I always understood, 

 generous, and a good landlord. He allowed each of his 

 tenants a key, that they might drive round the park or 

 through it whenever it suited either their pleasure or 

 convenience. On the other hand, in order to shelter 

 himself from their observation, or from the sight of any- 

 one else, he hid himself under a large umbrella, which 

 he always carried with him for the purpose. 



The world has learned something about his sub- 

 terranean buildings at Welbeck Abbey. They are ex- 

 tremely beautiful and extensive, and possibly the most 

 costly in the country. 



