MR. WILKINS BUYS MY HOUNDS. 157 



Commons late at niglit, or rather early in the mornmg, 

 I had my carriage ready to post down to the fixture. 

 I did this once, with my hack to meet me at the Cock 

 at Eaton on the great north road, the fixture being at 

 Haleweston, the day terminating in a very good run. 

 Faith was not kept with me, by one whose word I had 

 taken, and I very soon found that my public liabili- 

 ties were not borne as promised by a larger purse than 

 mine ; I complained, but could get no redress, when, 

 at last, the painful choice was forced upon me, either 

 to resign my place in parliament or to give up my 

 hounds. Hard and long was the struggle between the 

 alternatives ; but, at last, the desire to aid a brother 

 at all risks and privations, as well as to continue to 

 represent the division of the county in which I was 

 born, overcame every other consideration, and I de- 

 termined to sell my hounds. I knew this was not 

 the happiest course for me, but it was the course, 

 perhaps, of duty, at least it was not selfish. 



At this time Mr. Osbaldeston resigned the Pychley 

 country, and Mr. Wilkins was in treaty for it. I 

 think it Avas Mr. Payne who advised Mr. Wilkins to 

 apply to me to buy my hounds. The sad day arrived, 

 and I took him into the kennel. In selling them I 

 could not find in my heart to let them all go beyond 

 my reach, in case I should keep hounds again ; so I 

 made an odd sort of arrangement with him. I sold 

 him the entered hounds, and gave him the unentered, 

 on condition that, if 1 claimed them at the close of any 

 season, half of each entry of each succeeding season 

 were to be mine. The moment I conversed with 

 Mr. Wilkins, and saw the sort of sportsman or other- 

 wise that he was, there were a few favourite hounds 

 I resolved not to let him have. One of these was 



