THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 



Jack Wilson oixlered by his groom to go to Sir John Inkleton's 

 to fetch him home to-morrow.' 



' I never heard a word of it,' said tlie young lady. 



' Nor of the house in Scotland neither, miss ? ' 



' Not a word.' 



' Oh ! ho has taken such a fine house ; that is, it is between 

 him, Sir John, and Lord Dauntley, I think they call him; and 

 they are to give £1000 a year for it, to shoot grouse and 

 stags upon, and some other things, whose names I can't 

 remember.' 



' You astonish me, Sophy,' said Miss Raby. 



' All as true as the Bible, miss, I assure you,' resumed the 

 Abigail ; ' all the servants in the hall know it, and ' 



' But, Sophy, surely Francis must be mad,' said the sister ; 

 ' whence is the money to come, to do all this ? ' 



' Oh, miss,' replied Sophy, ' that is all right. The coach- 

 man says, he will be bound Mr. Beaumont has given him 

 £10,000. You know, Miss Raby, he is very rich, and how fond 

 he is of Mr. Francis.' 



' I know my uncle is fond of him,' replied Miss Raby, 

 ' and that he is rich ; but he is not so fond of parting with 

 his money, Sophy, as all that comes to. And, pray, have you 

 heard anything else of my brother ? You really alarm me, 

 Sophy ! ' 



'Nothing particular, ma'am,' answered Sophy; 'only they 

 were saying last night, in the hall> that Mr. Francis was 

 going to make strange alterations about the game ; that he 

 was very cross with old Perren, the keeper, about his dogs, 

 because they would not c]iar<je ; that he gave Jein Perren half 

 a guinea for licking young Mr. Hall, of the Aslies, because he 

 called him proud — Mr. Francis, I mean, ma'am ; and I heard 

 old Dick the huntsman say he thought Mr. Francis wasn't 

 easy in his mind about that lady he used to talk so much 

 about ; for, the last time he was out with our hounds, he tried 

 to break his neck over a new white-painted gate in Lord 

 Morton's park.' 



It is scarcely necessary to say that every word of this was 

 carefully retailed the next morning to Lad}^ Charlotte, by her 

 daughter, before her ladyship broke her fast ; and by lier trans- 

 ferred to Mr. Raby, before he ate his dinner. Now then for the 

 result. 



164 



