LEA^YES FROM A GAME BOOK. 203 



up with him each evening well into the small hours, 

 whilst he read me some of his MS., asking me to give 

 him any hints I could. " You yourself are a bit of a 

 book-writer," said he, " so fire a volley into me if I read 

 out anything you think Ls rubbish." He was likewise 

 possessed by a great anxiety to put his words into the 

 most polite language, while I urged him strongly to 

 leave as much of the "Astley" in them as possible. 



A somewhat laughable incident happened as we were 

 all assembled at the front door in the morning, waiting 

 for the omnibus to drive us to the meet. The Commander- 

 in-Chief (and a better or a kinder one our army never 

 had), with our host, were to pony to the try sting-place, 

 and as they came through the hall to mount their 

 steeds, Astley appeared on the scene wrapped up in a 

 gorgeously loud patterned homespun coat, when, catch- 

 ing sight of him, the Duke exclaimed, "Why, Mate, 

 wherever did you go to get that ugly coat ? " To which 

 remark Sir John replied with much modesty, but yet 

 with a merry twinkle in his eye, " Well, sir, you have 

 forgotten you gave it me yourself" 



