The First of September. 



irresistible. I was a little soft on my shooting, but perfect butter on my 

 dancing ; and, as for the girls, if they were anything like Tom, they must be 

 worth trotting out. 



The First saw me bowling along in a well-appointed cart — of which I 

 was proud, having architected it myself — to Winkleberry, fifteen miles ; one 

 more, and in through a wide open gate, through a short avenue, and I pulled 

 up before the Grange. I won't describe it ; just imagine what a grange 

 ought to be — ivy, oriel Avindows, buttresses, and all complete, with a white 

 headed old British patriarch to receive you. Ah ! that was an evening. 

 The "little dance" was, of course, no end of a ball; and, as for the girls, 

 I've still a soft place somewhere, or had not a very long time since, by 

 reason of that visit ; and before the evening was over I could see that Tom's 

 friend was voted " nice." 



The next morning — what a morning it was ! — Tom and I, with the keeper, 

 two markers, and a young friend, the son of a neighbour, who walked with 

 us but didn't shoot, stood on the velvet lawn gay with all manner of flowers 

 and shrubs, ready to start, with a brace of handsome liver and white pointers, 

 which looked all like business, and a sort of half-bred spaniel, a protege of 

 the keeper's, following. Eairy forms, in the crispest morning muslin, 

 dispensed a cherry brandy to us on the steps, and a pair of the brightest eyes 

 sent a couple of charges of electricity right through my waistcoat — and no 

 partridge that day was ever so shot through and tlirough as I was. But, 

 eyes or no eyes, business had to be attended to. 



" We'll run over the twenty-acre stubble first, sir,'' said Sam the keeper ; 

 " and you go and get up in that tree at the corner and mark into the swedes, 

 Bill ; and you, Joe, get to that gate and look out t'other side, but mind you 

 keep out of sight;" and we started. 



" Hold up, my beauties !" and away went the pointers over such a stubble 

 as one does not see often now. 



"Now, gents, afore we begin," said Sam; "may I ask you, if 

 you've any talkin' to do, to do it now. When the dogs is a huntin', 

 and we're on birds, please be as quiet as you can." We nodded, and 

 set off, Tom on the right the keeper between us, and J., our young 

 friend, on my left. 



