HOAR CROSS GOSSIP. 29 



sovereign that, whenever they found in Blithfield Gorse, 

 Jack would be first man over the brook. Then he fell ill, 

 poor fellow, and the young squire took him to Scotland to 

 see if the change would do him any good. They were like 

 that, the Meynells, always kind and thoughtful to those 

 about them ; a rare house it was, too — never was a better. 

 Why, not even a dog could come there but he must 

 have clean straw, and bite and sup. But the change 

 never did Jack no good, and he had to give up hunting 

 and turn bailiff. Fred Cottrell, who was in the stables, 

 took his place. Whose place did Charles take ? Why, 

 young Tom's, his eldest brother's. Poor fellow, I remem- 

 ber, we went to Kedleston with the hounds, and Tom had 

 to come home from huntino^, he was that sick and bad. I 

 used to drive over from Hoar Cross with the luggage and 

 clothing to Kedleston inn, and I drove the poor lad home 

 again to Hoar Cross, and they were going to operate on 

 him, but whether they did or no I don't remember. But 

 anyhow he died, and he only nineteen, poor lad. And 

 then Charles came from Lord Southampton. What was 

 his favourite horse ? Oh, a four-year old. Daddy Longlegs. 

 They bred him. He'd jump anything. Tom and the 

 young squire both rode him afterwards. He had a very 

 easy, careless sort of seat, the young squire. Would ride 

 along, paying no attention much to his horse, with his 

 reins all jingling, jangling. That was how he had his 

 accident. I don't know if he was throwed or not, but he 

 starts out from Kedleston inn, and the horse was mad 

 fresh. Then, just as we'd got our meal ready, back he 

 comes and walks into the room, with his face white as 

 death, and he says, ' Don't disturb yourselves,' — he was 

 always pleasant-like — ' but I'm badly hurt.' And so he 

 was, for he never came out again. He went shooting in 

 the Birchwood once after that. Ah, I recollect once how 

 pleased the old squire was when they broke up a fox just 

 outside the Hall door, and he came hobbling out in his 

 white cord trousers to see it. Do I remember the hounds ? 

 Of course I do. I was in the kennels almost as much as 



