THE MONNIELACK SHOOTINGS 



'53 



soldierly bearing, combined with charming manners, at once pre- 

 possessed me in his favour. The name of the shooting with 

 the rent actually paid was given me. Photographs of the 

 house, with lists of game killed in previous seasons, were also 

 produced, while everything appeared satisfactory and above 

 board. 



There were two other little details I desired to know, 

 and while hesitating how to put my questions as to whether 

 the Colonel was a bachelor, and who the two other guns 

 might be, he divined my thoughts, telling me he was married, 

 but that his wife was an invalid, taking no part in the manage- 

 ment of the Monnielack establishment, as she lived almost 

 entirely upstairs in her own suite of rooms. " So, my dear 

 sir," said he, "you see it is practically a bachelor party, and 

 you can smoke where you like and dress as you please. Mind, 

 sir, I am no petticoat hater — by Jove ! no — quite the reverse ; 

 but, to my mind, one lady is rather a bore, shut up with a 

 party of four men in a shooting box." 



Having expressed my entire concurrence in these senti- 

 ments, I asked, " And what about the other two guns ? " 



"Well," answered the Colonel, "they were both strangers 

 until introduced to me by mutual friends. Captain Smallgore 

 Spiller lives in Cornwall, Mr. Auldjoe in Northumberland, 

 and hence our arrangements have been made by letter ; but 

 they are both bachelors, while from all I can hear they are 

 quite nice fellows." 



All this sounded very pleasant, so I settled forthwith to 

 arrive at Monnielack on the tenth of the month. A few 

 days later I met an old friend and told him of my arrangement, 

 when, much to my comfort, he remarked, " Oh, I know Love- 

 well, and you will find him quite a good sort. He was always 

 a poor man, though, and married a widow some ten years 

 his senior with a couple of thousand a year. She fancies 

 herself an invalid, but I hear she is a dear old thing, for 

 she lets Lovewell do pretty much as he pleases." 



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