Sir Bellingham Graham. 441 



small lamp burning faintly in its regiment of windows, 

 stood out gaunt and drear in the twilight. It was 



" The sad, old story 

 Of Whig and Tory" 



of that fierce rivalry at the poll, which has laid the axe 

 at the root of many an oak, and left so many old 

 county homes, which once never lacked a fox from the 

 family gorse, or a horse for the County Cup, to the 

 keeping of two old servants. 



We have heard the question put to many a hunting 

 man from eighty to twenty-five, " Did you know Sir 

 Bellingham Graham by sight ?" and the invariable 

 answer was, " No." It would have been strange if 

 they had, as, after achieving a name in nearly every 

 sport, he had given them up, like Sir Charles 

 Knightley, full forty years before he died. After that 

 he was hardly ever seen in public, and passed his time 

 between his Yorkshire seat of Norton Conyers, and 

 Boodles, where he was quite a Lyndhurst on points of 



Tom Thumb (243) of the Knight Grey sort, and of whom his lordship 

 always averred that he would get fat on nettles ; Hotspur (855), bred by 

 Mr. Jeffries ; Wonder (420), sire of Albert Edward, from Mr. J. 

 Hewer ; The Count (351), from Mr. Carpenter of Eardisland ; Walford 

 (871), the sire of Attingham, Severn, and Napoleon 3rd, from Mr. 

 Longmore ; and the eternal Sir David (349) were the principal patri- 

 archs of the herd. His lordship won 27 firsts and seconds at the Royal 

 Agricultural Shows at first more with bulls, and latterly with females. 

 Attingham was first at Carlisle, Walford at Windsor, and Albert 

 Edward at Gloucester and Lewes. At the sale in September 1861, 

 there were 176 lots, and the males averaged 4O/. and the females 287. 

 Silver was sold for 65 guineas with her calf, and seven of the tribe made 

 373/. i6s. Jewess, the youngest of the Rebeccas, stayed at Cronkhill 

 with Conqueror by Sir David, and Apple Blossom (40 guineas), the 

 highest-priced grey, went to Leighton Hall. Carlisle (40 guineas), a 

 daughter of Silver's, became Mr. G. Porter's, and then Mr. Duckham's, 

 and turned out the most lucky of speculative bargains. Severn made 

 46 guineas, or a trifle over butcher's price. Will o' the Wisp (47 

 guineas), Albata (53 guineas), Eva (52 guineas), Agnes (Mr. Baldwin, 

 51 guineas), Beauty (Mr. J. Hewer, 43 guineas), Adela (Her Majesty, 

 57 guineas), and Lord Grey (the only grey bull) departed for Downton. 



