1 86 The Bore of the Hunt 



by any stays; \vith a broom in her hand and a pair 

 of old slippers on, is not the most captivating sight in the 

 world. She possesses a husband somewhere, but he is 

 never seen, and according to her own account she 

 IS entirely dependent on her own exertions for a living. 

 And if perseverance is worth anything, this accomplished 

 lady deserves to get on. She paints portraits of horses 

 whenever she can succeed in getting a commission, which 

 she is by no means backward in asking for, you may 

 depend ; and, once having got into a man's stable with 

 its full complement of hunters, it is uncommonly hard 

 to get her out until she has painted the whole stud. 

 Then she has generally got some rare old port to 

 dispose of — a bargain. *^ Sherry too — are you a 

 sherry-drinker ? " She has got ten dozen she wants 

 to sell, some extraordinary Amoroso that she picked 

 up quite by chance lately (she is not at liberty to 

 mention how) — that she is not exaggerating when she 

 tells you it is sherry you don't meet with every day. 

 *^ Captain Wildoats, you really must let me send you a 

 couple of dozen bottles — only seventy-five shillings i 

 dozen. I know you are a sherry-drinker, and a good 

 judge, for you gave me, I remember, some excellent wine 

 out of your flask, one day, when I felt rather faint, if you 

 recollect." *^ Hang the old Jezebel and her sherry !" said 

 our friend, afterwards, "you never tasted such filth in 

 your life, sir. I believe it was nothing but Marsala, with 

 one of the old gal's boots chucked in to give it a flavour. 

 I presented the lot to my man, and, as he's a good ser- 

 vant, strongly advised him not to drink it himself, but 

 r6 keep it for his enemies." 



" Cigars, too — ^re you a smoker ? I've got a dozen. 



