LADIES IN THE HUNTING-FIELD 291 



this was her last season in England, where she had 

 made herself so popular with all classes, especially 

 with the Hunt servants whom she had come across. 

 Her thoughtfulness for her servants was one of the 

 leading traits of the Empress's character ; thus when 

 she was in London she always gave her servants 

 one or two days' holiday, and had them escorted 

 round London to see the sights by an experienced 

 guide at her own expense, remarking that it was 

 a shame to bring people so far from their native 

 land and let them see nothing but hotels and railway 

 stations. It is well known that she found little 

 enjoyment in Court ceremony, and when in London 

 she invariably stayed at an hotel, in order that she 

 might be more independent. Dinners she rarely 

 gave, as she liked to retire to rest early ; but she 

 entertained largely at luncheons, especially in the 

 country. 



As was only to be expected, these visits of the 

 Empress did much to increase the popularity of fox- 

 hunting amongst ladies, until nearly every lady who 

 possessed a horse, a side saddle, and a riding habit 

 was ambitious to be seen in the hunting-field. If 

 this ambition had sprung from love of sport alone, 

 nothing could have been said against it; but I am 

 sorry to say that this large increase of riding habits 

 in the hunting-field was due to many other causes, 

 for the ladies who loved sport had ridden to hounds 

 for many years before the Empress visited England, 

 and were thoroughly familiar with the orthodoxy 



