170 NIMROD'S NORTHERN TOUR. 



the pack could not at times run up, for the want of a holding scent. 

 All this must have been very annoying to the duke, it being the first and 

 only day's hunting he allowed himself in that week ; and he was mounted 

 on Jemmy, of whom 1 have spoken as a particularly clever thorough- 

 bred horse, and all over a hunter, Frank Collison was on old Alphabet 

 again, looking ready for business, and I intended having an eye to him, 

 in consideration of former experience of him in the field. 



Our hacks being at St. Boswell's— where Mr. Callander's horse lay the 

 preceding night — we returned home with the hounds ; saw them put into 

 their kennels ; sat half an hour with Williamson, talking over the occur- 

 rences of the day ; and after refreshing ourselves with a glass of his 

 *' Who the devil sent you this ?" mounted our hacks, and after a pitch- 

 dark ride, got to Kelso to our dinner about seven. We lived in clover, 

 for independently of the good things provided by Peter, or at least by 

 his master, we had a succession of game and fruit from Preston-hall, the 

 fine seat of Mr. Callander, whose gardens are, I believe, not to be ex- 

 celled in Scotland. The use of the hunt room also, affording a retiring 

 room for the ladies in the apartments occupied by the party previously 

 to my joining them, rendered the tout en semhle so complete, that we 

 might have almost made ourselves believe we were actually living at 

 Preston-hall, instead of at this very excellent inn. 



Neither were our evenings wanting in the accomplishments of do- 

 mestic life. When we joined the ladies in their drawing-room, after a 

 temperate enjoyment of the bottle, we found Mrs. Callander, with her 

 guitar in her hand, ready to accompany her voice in song, and, after 

 the ruder pleasures of the day, to lull us with '* sounds of sweetest 

 melody." Nor is there any poetical exaggeration here. Had Mrs. 



