COL. ANSTRUTHER THOMSON 147 



uncle, Sir Charles Adam, Willy and Mary Adam 

 (afterwards Mrs. Antrobus), George Bagot, Mr. 

 Sanderson and Miss Sanderson. 



It was a capital ball, but towards the finish the 

 people at the end of the room began to sneeze, and 

 by degrees every one began to sneeze in succession. 

 I was standing near the door. Lord Howe came to 

 me and said, " What can it be ? " and began to 

 sneeze and could not finish the sentence. We sent 

 away all the paraffin lamps, opened the windows, 

 and it got a little better, but some people had to go 

 home. No one could guess the cause, but some 

 days after, the father of a boy confided to Sir George 

 Chetwynd and myself that his son, after dressing at 

 the Red Lion Inn, had put some cayenne pepper in 

 his pocket and sprinkled it in the ball-room. 



On 3oth December, 1850, I went to the Derby 

 ball, where I met my future wife, Miss Hamilton 

 Gray, and her mother. They had come from Rad- 

 bourne with the Chandos Pole party. After the 

 ball I went to stay at Radbourne, where Mr. Hamil- 

 ton Gray was also staying. 



ist January, 1851. Left Radbourne. Went by 

 train to meet the hounds at Shuttington Bridge. 



23rd March. Went to Leicester on Sunday 

 afternoon. William Clowes lent me a horse to ride 

 over to Quorn to meet Lord Rosslyn and Percy 

 Williams at Sir Richard Sutton's. 



24th March. Barron-in-the-Beans. Good run ; 

 killed a fox in Grosby Village ; one hour forty-seven 



minutes. 



10* 



