FOR YOUNG SHOOTERS 13 



been broken in upon during the morning by the 

 necessity for posting yourself at the hot corner, or 

 the grassy ride, or in the butt, or for polishing off 

 a right and left of partridges, can then flow free 

 and uninterrupted. Ah, happy moments, when the 

 bad shot becomes as the good, and all distinctions 

 are levelled ! How well, how gratefully, do I re- 

 member you ! Still, in my waking fancies, there 

 rises to my nose a savoury odour, telling of stew 

 or hot-pot, and still the crisp succulence of the jam 

 tartlet has honour in my memory. Ah, tempi 

 passati, tempi passati ! But away, fancy, and to 

 our work, which is to speak of 



SHOOTING-LUNCHES 



in their relation to talk : 



(1.) Be extremely careful, unless you know 

 exactly the ways of your host with regard to his 

 shooting-lunch, not to express to him before lunch 

 any very definite opinion as to what the best kind 

 of lunch is. If, for instance, you rashly declare 

 that, for your own part, you detest a solemn sit- 

 down-in-a-farmhouse lunch, and that your ideal is 

 a sandwich, a biscuit, and a nip out of a flask, and 

 if you then find yourself lunching off three courses 



