50 LORD BERNERS. 



wool of which the coat upon my back is made was growing 

 this morning upon the backs of my sheep ! " His Lordship 

 then proceeded to explain how he had arranged that as the 

 shearers clipped the sheep, the various tradesmen, sorters, 

 combers, cleaners, dyers, weavers, and tailors, should be in 

 attendance, each waiting in readiness to do his part ; his 

 Lordship submitting to be measured and fitted, and finally 

 appearing in a coat which had surely never been equalled 

 for the rapidity of the various processes through which it 

 was ultimately fashioned. 



A very amusing story Lord Berners used to tell, proves 

 the truth of the old adage that the most indulgent of 

 Masters is but rarely a hero to his own valet. One evening 

 Lord Berners had driven to Kibworth Station intending to 

 go to town, but after waiting sometime in Kibworth altered 

 his plans and decided to return home. In the interval 

 his coachman had been an excellent customer in the tap- 

 room of the village inn, and was manifestly incapable of 

 mounting the box. Without more ado his Lordship got 

 into the coachman's coat, placed the coachman inside the 

 carriage, himself mounted the box and so drove up to his 

 Hall door, whereupon the manservant came out and greeting 

 (as he thought) the coachman, exclaimed " Well ! so the 

 old devil's gone?" To which his Lordship replied "No, 

 the old devil's here, and you can take your wages in the 

 morning." However, when the morning came probably his 

 Lordship relented and doubtless overlooked the offensive 

 allusion. 



The Hon. Fred and the Hon. Gussy Calthorpe, Mr. 

 Ambrose de Lisle, who married Miss Fanny Sutton, Sir 

 Richard's youngest sister ; Mr. Banks Wright, and the 

 Rev. H. Houson, from the Belvoir side, were often hunting 

 at this period in high Leicestershire; the two latter used to 

 visit at Skeffington Hall in the old Sutton days. 



Mr. and Mrs. Bigge, who have for many years resided, 

 and I am glad to hear are still living, at Torquay, succeeded 

 Captain Sutton at Carlton, and were regular attendants 



