CHASING AND RACING loi 



day, being jumped off and deposited rather rudely on 

 the ground, she there and then foreswore the chase 

 and devoted herself to less exciting diversions. Not 

 so her younger sisters " Miriam " and ** Freddie.** 

 They were as keen as mustard, and a particularly 

 smart couple of worshippers at Diana's shrine. Both 

 were fearless horsewomen with perfect hands and 

 stout hearts. So far all had gone well — the clouds 

 were already gathering, but it was some time before 

 the storm burst as narrated in the preceding chapter. 



The fact that I had been supported by ** oi polloi ** 

 to the detriment of the committee's amour propre^ 

 undoubtedly rankled ; so I began to feel that I held 

 an isolated and far from secure position. It might 

 have been imagined that the committee of the O.B.H. 

 having been re-installed at my earnest request, after 

 its defeat by the body of subscribers, would have 

 had the decency to acknowledge the courtesy by 

 refraining from further back-biting and grumbling ; 

 but alas ! such was not the case. On the contrary, I 

 soon found myself up against a carping spirit which 

 took all the steel and enthusiasm out of my endeavour 

 to keep up an average of sport such as had not been 

 enjoyed in the country for very many seasons under 

 previous masters. Consequently I began to feel 

 utterly weary and fed up ; so that when another general 

 meeting was convened, like Brer Rabbit I just " lay 

 low,*' and offered no opposition to a suggestion put 

 forward by a certain noble lord, whose suavity was 



