318 REMINISCENCES OF 



" SULBY HALL, WELFORD, 

 " zjth April, 1864. 



" MY DEAR THOMSON, 



"Yours of the 25th just reached me. I 

 fear the committee cannot give you a positive answer 

 previous to the meeting. But you may feel quite 

 certain that we shall be able to give you the ,3,000 

 for which you asked, taking upon ourselves the rents 

 and repairs of coverts. I have a telegram this 

 morning from Lord Spencer dated 25th: 'Arrived 

 at Constantinople to-day ; will give subscription to 

 Thomson if Suffield has not changed his mind '. 

 This answer, as Suffield has quite withdrawn, makes 

 the amount of subscription reaching ,3,000 for you 

 quite safe. 



" I imagine that Spencer answers a letter of mine, 

 and not Melville's telegram, because in my letter, 

 which was written when Suffield withdrew, there was 

 no allusion to Harleston, and the telegram alluding 

 to Harleston was sent in Melville's name, and the 

 answer would probably be sent to him. 



"You will be asked to accept the following con- 

 ditions : ( i ) To agree to hunt the country four days 

 a week, weather permitting, during the regular hunt- 

 ing season ; (2) To leave the pack in as efficient a 

 state as you find them. If you are prepared to agree 

 to the above conditions, you may in my opinion 

 decidedly consider the matter settled ; but of course 

 I can only say this as an individual. 



"It has always been the custom for the new 

 master to write and ask permission of the owners of 



