24 Hunting in the Golden Days. 



well to keep before us as often as possible the thoughts 

 of churchyards, worms, and graves." 



"If you don't mind," said Goodbery, "I think I would 

 rather talk of livelier subjects to-night ; and, if you 

 please, I'll take a glass of punch." 



This dreary lady's conversation is interrupted by the 

 entrance of the other guests. The first to enter the 

 room is our old friend Oldwig, accompanied by his wife. 

 Besides these are Mr. and Mrs. Richmond, and cheery, 

 ruddy-faced Mr. Winebold and his spouse, all of whom 

 are old friends of Goodbery's and regular visitors at Sir 

 John's homely gatherings. Then, too, there are a 

 couple of college chums, come down from Oxford to 

 spend the Christmas "vac" with Eric, Sir John's eldest 

 son. 



Nor has the reader yet been introduced to Mr. and 

 Mrs. Lofty. Mr. Lofty is a diminutive man, who 

 boasts that he is able to ride under eight stone, 

 and as he is a devoted follower of the chase his 

 weight stands him in good stead. Although a bold 

 man to hounds and never known to funk the stiffest 

 bull-finch, yet in the presence of his wife he shows an 

 entirely different front, for he has never been known to 

 oppose his better half on the slightest subject. In fact, 

 anyone glancing at Mrs. Lofty for a few moments could 

 not but conclude that there is some good reason for the 

 little man taking this course, as she is a powerful hard- 

 visaged woman some ten years his senior, whose physi- 

 ognomy denotes by its strength of character that she is 

 not to be trifled with. Why he ever married this lady 

 has been an enigma that many of his friends have 

 tried in vain to solve. Some, however, are unkind 

 enough to hint that he possibly married her for 

 her money-bags. 



