172 



THE WARWICKSHIRE HOUNDS. 



Mr. H. Spencer 



Lucy. 



1866-1876. 



Taglioni. 



William Brown. 



named Taglioni, for 45gs. She carried Worrall for 

 three years, and is said to have only thrown him twice. 

 The reason she fetched so low a price at the sale was 

 that a rest of some months after a fall had given rise to 

 an impression that she was spoilt. This, however, was 

 not the case and she was afterwards sold for 375gs. to 

 a man who would not take more than three times that 

 amount to part with her again. 



Before leaving Mr. Lucy's period, I must not 

 forget to mention a character of whom all those 

 intimately acquainted with the pack must have 

 a lively recollection. I refer to old William 

 Brown, the stud-groom. Brown ruled the stables 

 with the hand of an autocrat, but that he was 

 as valuable as he was eccentric the unexceptional 

 turn-out was always an ample testimony. At the 

 same time, he was, in his own opinion, the supreme 

 man in all the affairs of the stud, and would 

 brook no interference with his ideas and^arrangements 

 from master or man ; and woe-betide the luckless 

 youngster who, perhaps, had been sent out to "qua- 

 lify " a young horse, with strict injunctions to bring 

 it home at a certain time, and who, meeting with his 

 master in the course of the day, had been 

 told to keep it out a little longer. Any 

 enjoyment which might be derivable from the extra 

 time out would be spoilt by the prospects of an inter- 

 view with Brown upon his return home. Brown had 

 begun life as a gentleman's coachman, and it is said had 

 left the place he occupied previous to entering Mr. 

 Lucy's service, because his master had presumed to 

 make some trifling interference in the arrangement of the 

 reins. As is generally the case, however, his eccen- 

 tricity was simply the accompaniment of excellence and 

 skill in his work, as all who knew his stables will, I 

 think, be most ready to admit. 



