LORD EVERGREEN 235 



agreeableness, or any of the hundred-and-one qualities 

 that constitute the difference between one man and 

 another. Show such a man a lord, and he " ats him " 

 as a greyhound would a hare. The peerage occupies 

 the sort of place in his head that ale and beer 

 measure occupies in the head of a publican — gallons, 

 half-gallons, quarts, pints, gills, &c. &c. He looks 

 at a duke as a gallon, an earl as a quart, a viscount 

 as a pint, and a baron as a gill, and considers that 

 each rank holds just its own particular quantity, and 

 that the only difference among noblemen is in the 

 sign of the measure. In countries where game is 

 abundant, a hound of this sort may be seen changing 

 from title to title, always, however, on the ascendant ; 

 just as some hounds will change from hare to martin 

 cat, and from roe deer to fox. We have known a real 

 out-and-out Tuft Hunter inconvenience himself by 

 taking up his quarters at hotels frequented by noble- 

 men, even though he had not the slightest chance of 

 a contact, except on the staircase or in the passage. 

 Still he could talk about, " Ah — yes — ah — I remember 

 we were staying together at the Bedford, at Brighton ; " 

 or, " Ah — yes — ah — I remember meeting him at the 

 Plough, at Cheltenham." These are the sort of Tuft 

 Hunters that acute keepers — alias stewards of public 

 dinners — bait their traps with royal dukes and great 

 men to catch, well knowing that their presence will 

 effect what no charitable motive would accomplish. 

 His Serene Highness the Grand Duke of 

 Doodleton in the chair, acts like a sugar saucer 

 upon flies, draws all the Tuft Hunters from their 

 holes, to flutter and bask in the sunshine of royalty. 

 Then, if his Serene Highness takes a sham glass of 

 wine with them, they reckon they have established his 

 acquaintance, if not his friendship, for life. Harmless 

 foible ! So let it pass. 



The most contemptible species of Tuft Hunter 

 undoubtedly is the assiduous, cringing, never-miss-a- 



