CONVALESCENT. 85 



Park. And in honest gratitude will his Grace's health be 

 toasted to-night (Thursday, 25th) at many a dinner-table 'twixt 

 Melton and Grantham. Eight-and-tJiirty minutes without a 

 check, and a hunting run requiring another hour and a-half to 

 complete, sums up the result of the indulgence. It has come 

 on post-day ; and a long ride home has narrowed the available 

 margin still more. But as far as time will allow, and as 

 far as the assistance of a kind friend's confidential (a sort of 

 invalid chair on four galloping legsj enabled me to see it, 

 I will set down the outline of this — the latest of the many 

 good things enjoyed by the Belvoir this season. Even at 

 twelve o'clock the roads were so hard and glassy that it was 

 difficult and terrifying to ride to Croxton Park from Melton, or 

 elsewhere. But, shortly after noon, Gillard moved off upon the 

 five miles of mud that intervene between the meet and Coston 

 Covert — a bright sun meanwhile doing its best to dispel the 

 lingering frost. A fox had been killed in covert here within 

 the fortnight ; but another stout venturer had taken his place, 

 and in the next ten minutes he was away, with horn and cheer 

 ringing close to his ears. The village of Coston seemed the 

 earliest point ; but in the second or third field, fox left the 

 plough, and turned right down the wind in the direction of 

 Woodwell Head. Thus he passed again within half a mile of 

 the covert he had left ; and with a capital scent the beautiful 

 " middle pack " of the Belvoir set to work upon the grass. An 

 early and ugly bit of timber was promptly scattered by Mr. 

 Hutchinson, who on a neat and well-bred bay was riding 

 brilliantly throughout the run. Beyond Wymondham the 

 cream of the gallop ensued. 



Their fox, with his head again up the wind, had skirted the 

 right of the village, as was delightfully testified by yokels of 

 every degree, and he was going for his life. Once clear of the 

 outskirts of Wymondham (i.e., of the two or three small wheat- 

 fields immediately touching it) he was again on excellent grass. 

 How wonderfully firm and sound it rode — even in this deep 

 wet winter ! The fences were chiefly timber-mended gaps in 



