410 SYSTEM OF KENNEL AND 



very great and lasting favour iipon a great many of 

 your neighbours, Tvho prefer hunting to shooting." 



'' But this is not a foxhunting country; it .is too 

 hilly, and the woods are considered too large for the 

 purpose. In short, since my possession of this pro- 

 perty foxhounds have never drawn one of my 

 coverts ; and, therefore, as a matter of course, I 

 have treated foxes as other vermin, and they have 

 been trapped accordingly." 



"Well, sir, we admit that hitherto, no hounds 

 having ever drawn your coverts since your succes- 

 sion to the property, you were perfectly justified in 

 killing foxes ; but as to the unfitness of this country 

 for foxhunting, by reason of its hilly nature just in 

 this immediate vicinity, and the extent of its woods, 

 we must observe that the hills you speak of are 

 mere molehills to the mountains we have seen in 

 many provincial foxhunting countries ; and as to the 

 woods, they are the most insignificant spinnies in 

 comparison with those in Hants, Berks, and Wilts. 

 Why, sir, my friend Fortescue, of Langley Hall, on 

 the borders of Wilts, who accompanied me this 

 afternoon, declared that every acre of wood he had 

 seen within our six-mile ride would not amount in 

 acreage to half of one of the coverts in his hunt." 



"Where is Mr. Fortescue?" he inquired. "His 

 father was a particular friend of mine." 



" Holding our horses in the stable-yard." 



" Oh ! that must not be. Pray have your horses 

 put into the stable. I should like very much to see 

 Mr. Fortescue." 



Eeturning with our friend, who was received 



