130 THE WILLEY WHIPPER-IN". 



within hearing, replied, ^' I am not at all surprised 

 — his voice is music itself. I am astonished and 

 delighted, and hardly know how to praise it enough. 

 I neyer heard anything so attractive and inspiring 

 before in the whole course of my life ; its tones are 

 as fine and mellow as a French horn." 



When Squire Forester gave up hunting, the 

 hounds went to Aldenham, as trencher hounds ; the 

 farmers of the district agreeing to keep them. 

 They were collected the night before the hunt, fed 

 after a day's sport, and dismissed at a crack of the 

 whip, each dog going off to the farm at which he 

 was kept. But it was a great trial to Tom to see 

 them depart ; and he begged to be allowed to keep 

 an old favourite, with which he might often have 

 been seen sunning himself in the yard. He con- 

 tinued with his master from first to last, with the 

 exception of the short time he lived with Mr. 

 Corbet, when the Sundorne roof-trees were wont to 

 ring to the toast of " Old Trojan," and when the 

 elder Sebright was his fellow-whip. 



Like the old Squire, Tom never married, although, 

 like his master, he had a leaning towards the softer 

 sex, and spent much of his time in the company of 

 his lady friends. One he made his banker, and the 



