COL. ANSTRUTHER THOMSON 253 



Olive turned up. I was only kept in bed two days. 

 When we went home Mary Musters joined us at 

 Binofham, and went to Charleton with us. 



"26 Circus, Bath, 



" ^rd August, 1889. 



" My Dear Old Jack, — 



'* I have been blowing my horn and 

 gathering from the ferny coombes of Devon the old 

 pack I used to hunt with in days gone by for the 

 annual meet at these kennels. So from the 26th to 

 the 31st I expect the following good and true line 

 hunters to occupy our benches for that week : H . 

 Fortescue, Fitz Taylor, Hine, Dick Clarke of 

 Welton Place, and E. V. Harcourt of Nuneham 

 Park. All have accepted, and I only want you to 

 make our party complete. Now, if yoit object, I'll 

 promise that not one word about hounds, horses, 

 foxes or runs shall be mentioned in your company ; 

 otherwise, the chances are the pack will run riot on 

 that scent. Lord Worcester will be cub-hunting 

 busily and I'll find a good cover hack to carry you 

 every day. So bring a pair or two of your walnut 

 breeches and some jack-boots, and there you are. 



"In your speech at Peterborough you called for 

 better room for the ladies — -place aux dames — and 

 put me in mind of Father Prout of Watergrass Hill, 

 Co. Cork. He was preaching to a crowded congre- 

 gation of peasants when three fashionably dressed 

 ladies entered and stood behind the congregation 

 listening to his eloquence. He stopped short and 

 called out, ' Boys, why don't you give three chaires 



