156 Mr. and Mrs. Sparkler. 



friend of Charlie's," was the immediate remark amongst 

 the men present, The hounds immediately after moved 

 off ; a fox was found in the very first cover they drew, and 

 one of the best runs of the season the result. 



Little Mrs. Sparkler went like a bird ; in fact, she and 

 Lady Thomasina Clinker, their respective husbands, and 

 Charlie Wildoats, had the best of it throughout. The lat- 

 ter gentleman, after dinner that night, informed his uncle, 

 — with whom, as we have related, Charlie '' hung out," as 

 he called it, when he was at home — in answer to an en- 

 quiry as to what the new comers were like — for the old 

 gentleman, having met Mrs. Gapeseed one fine day, had 

 heard what that veracious journal. Truth, would call some 

 " Queer stories " about them — that '' Doddy Sparkler was 

 a capital chap. Knew him at Eton, don't you know ? 

 Shoddy, of course ; but what the doose does that matter if 

 a feller's a good feller ? And as for his wife, why she's a 

 dear little woman, 'pon my soul, she is, Uncle John; and, 

 I can tell you what it is, sir, she can ride like the devil." 



Of course it was the old story : the men all swore by the 

 poor little woman, but their wives would not have 

 her at any price. They would not go near her, in fact. 

 However, she seemed perfectly happy with her horses and 

 her dogs and her birds, and above all her '* Doddy." She 

 was a perfect Lady Bountiful too in the parish, as the 

 rector could and did testify, and probably did more good 

 to her poorer fellow-creatures in a day than Mrs. Gape- 

 seed, with all her ostentatious charity, would in a lifetime. 



As for Lord Daisyfield, he was charmed with the little 

 ex-music hall singer. 



She asked him, in her usual ofi'-hand manner, one day 

 out hunting, to come and dine with her some night. 



