304 THE HUNTING FIELD 



for conjugal happiness with a man so thoroughly 

 undomesticated as he was, who thought of nothing 

 but tearing about the country from morning to night ; 

 indeed, if all were true, there were other objections, 

 which Mrs. Cottonwool indicated by sundry little 

 tosses of her head, much in the manner of a carriage 

 horse teazed by flies. 



Old "Wool," of course, said that he never thought 

 there was anything in it, which procured him the 

 usual recommendation " to hold his tongue, and not 

 talk about things he did not understand," for Mrs. 

 Cottonwool had clearly settled in her own mind that 

 there had been a "nibble," and though she might 

 pretend to "whip off" at present, she meant to lay 

 Henrietta on again the first convenient opportunity. 

 Those opportunities in the country are very rare, 

 especially in the hunting season, where men will 

 make their engagements subservient to hunting. 

 This is where hunt balls tell ; it gives the women a 

 chance of bringing men to book ; for, as they cannot 

 be hunting at night, if they have any "real inten- 

 tions " they can come to a ball. 



Henrietta Cottonwool, of course, being of the same 

 way of thinking as "mamma" — indeed, mamma's 

 opinions must have been chiefly derived from the 

 daughter — has determined not to let the season close 

 without a final effort for our hero. Accordingly she 

 has enlisted one of those convenient articles called a 

 cousin, that women know so well how to use, either 

 as suitors or cats'-paws, to attend her to the meet. 

 Well she looks as she sits on her horse, and if the 

 animal was only as well turned out as she is, she 

 would do uncommonly well. There is not one 

 woman in a hundred with the slightest idea about 

 either a horse or a carriage. Thin legs and long tails 

 are all they look for in a saddle-horse. Small legs, 

 however, would not exactly do for Henrietta, for she 

 is a good load, though her well-formed back and 



