LADY FOXHUNTERS 303 



Derby's staggers (for it is long ago, and aunt, Lord 

 Derby, Grumpington, staggers and all, have long been 

 in their graves), which met at the White Lion, Lock's 

 Bottom, whither Lob offered to drive us, and bring 

 us back if we liked. The great merit of staggers un- 

 doubtedly is the certainty of a gallop, and the pretty 

 near certainty where you will finish ; but, on this 

 provoking day, the insensate creature seemed to have 

 had a turn for visiting every part of the country ; and 

 north, south, east, and west, were equally favoured 

 with his presence ; the consequence of which was, 

 our aunt was not favoured with ours for three- 

 quarters of an hour after the appointed time, when we 

 found Sir Timothy Grumpington with half-appeased 

 appetite, but wholly unappeased mind, and aunt in 

 that direful state of excitement that old ladies in- 

 variably are whose whole dinner has been spoiled by 

 long waiting. People should be all in the same boat 

 who sit down to a long-delayed dinner. 



But let us hark back to Henrietta, Sir Rasper, and 

 Fleecy Hall, for we want to get a glance at the end of 

 the season before we finish our book. Sir Rasper, as 

 we said before, did not cast up at the Fleecy Hall 

 dinner, and, as usual, in all cases of extreme anxiety, 

 no end of mistaken, and, we fear, somewhat illiberal 

 surmises, were indulged in, as to the cause of his 

 absence. Mrs. Cottonwool, who had been "trotted 

 out " by a few men before she became Mrs. Cotton- 

 wool, and knew all the symptoms of " no go," set it 

 down at once as a case of desertion — " trifling with 

 her daughter's feelings," as they call it. It never 

 entered her mind that a man could love hunting 

 better than his food, after the fashion of Gray's bull- 

 dog, who is reported to have loved fighting better 

 than his, and therefore she would advise Henrietta to 

 have no more to say to Sir Rasper. Indeed, for her 

 part, she thought her daughter had had a most 

 fortunate escape, for it was quite impossible to look 



