THE ROMANCE OF CHESLYN HALL. 9 



was going to be married to a Miss Burnand, the beautiful 

 daughter of a well-known Stock Exchange financier, and 

 about the end of the season a large party of ladies and 

 gentlemen were invited down to view the combined stud 

 and establishment, to take a last farewell of the bachelor- 

 hood of the well-known Samuel Baker, and to duly 

 celebrate the break-up of the sporting home of those 

 two distinguished sportsmen. A superb luncheon was 

 provided in the " Rochester" room at the White Hart, 

 and the lawns and pleasure-grounds were filled by a 

 large company of exquisitely-dressed and beautiful 

 women, amongst whom the future bride was not the 

 least fair. It was in the month of April, and peaches 

 and nectarines at £'^ 3^". a dozen, strawberries at 16^. a 

 pound, ices, and every costly luxury graced the board. 

 After waiting some time it was noticed that no Cheslyn 

 Hall appeared on the scene, to the surprise of all present, 

 and of Mr. Baker especially. The company, after visiting 

 the stud, returned to London ; the stud was removed 

 to Tattersall's, and, as usual, made great prices ; the 

 saddles, bridles, horse-cloths, and all the appurtenances 

 of the establishment disappeared from the scene. After 

 some weeks rumours got afloat that debts owing in the 

 town had not been paid : this was unusual, as everything 

 hitherto had been most punctually settled month by 

 month. One morning an announcement appeared in 

 The Times, with a flaming leading article, that the great 

 firm of solicitors, the Brothers Hall, had become bank- 

 rupt, with a deficiency of over £6y,ooo ; that moneys 

 received by them for clients had been appropriated to 

 their own uses ; that the extravagance of their establish- 



