NIMROUS NORTHERN TOUR. 127 



society, as in love, the nearer the equality the closer the bonds, 

 and it is here, and perhaps only here, that people appear towards 

 each other quite without dissimulation and disguise. In addition 

 to my host and hostess, then, there was Mr. Bannerman brother 

 to Sir Alexander, and maternal uncle to my host a great and 

 scientific agriculturist, and, I have reason to believe, more than 

 usually skilled in the knowledge of our various grasses ; also Mr. 

 Adam Hay, of Duddingston House, near Edinburgh, a partner 

 in Sir William Forbes's bank, and whose lady, who accompanied 

 him, is sister to Mrs. Keith. -Here then was a contrast to the 

 rude scenes of the morning to the "pelting of the pitiless 

 storm/' to which I was exposed for full six hours and more. An 

 excellent dinner everything comme il fautj the presence of 

 two of the most splendid women Scotland can produce second 

 Lady Cunliffes in my eyes ; the society of two sportsmen and a 

 farmer ; and under the roof of the brother of my friend who in- 

 vited me to this hospitable land ! There was but one alloy 

 the pleasure was short-lived. Mr. Bannerman proceeded on the 

 morrow on his journey towards Leamington, in Warwickshire : 

 Mr. Hay left on the Monday, and my visit was restricted by my 

 engagements to only a few days. 



" Non eadem sede morantur 

 Majestas et amor." OVID. 



Not having up to this period hunted in the duke's home 

 country the Dalkeith kennel is within six miles of Chester 

 Hall I had not seen Captain Keith with hounds ; and he was 

 prevented being at Dunse, during my visit to Lord Elcho, by 

 reason of his stable going wrong. In fact, every horse in it had 

 a screw loose, which is more than usual ill luck, even in the 

 most punishing of our countries. On the authority of Lord 

 Kintore, however, he is a sportsman, and, of all I heard speak of 

 him, a horseman. I believe also I may say the same of Mr. 

 Hay, who I should think gives little change out of sixteen stone, 

 with his saddle ; but I left Scotland without seeing either of 

 them in the field. Both these gentlemen went soon afterwards 

 to Dunse for a fortnight, and were lucky in seeing four good 

 days' sport with Lord Elcho, and a beautiful burst of thirty-nine 

 minutes with Major St. Paul from a small patch of gorse ; and 

 over part of the same country that we went over from Learmouth 

 Bog, at least up to the Till, which the fox did not choose to 

 cross, but went to ground on the bank of it. 



Nothing gives me a higher opinion of a man than that sort of 

 unaffected openheartedness which lets you as it were into his 



