LORD AND LADY LONDONDERRY 303 



of whom I have written earlier in this book. Later on 

 I often met him with the York and Ainsty, Hurworth, 

 Bedale and other hounds, and at one time it seemed 

 hardly probable that we should be good friends, for I 

 was somewhat reckless in those days and had written 

 a rather severe " skit " on Sir George Wombwell in The 

 Sporting Times, the cause being that two or three of 

 Lord Middleton's hounds had been poisoned while 

 hunting at Newburgh. There was really no question 

 about it. There was going to be a Royal visit to 

 Newburgh, and pheasants were wanted in abundance, 

 regardless of foxes. The incident is doubtless remem- 

 bered by old people in that neighbourhood, and as 

 I made no secret of having written what The Sporting 

 Times published, Lord Londonderry, who was a friend 

 of Sir George Wombwell, had some " words " with me 

 about it in the hunting field ; but in those days " words " 

 passed like water off a duck's back, and though Sir 

 George Wombwell and I never spoke to one another 

 for seven or eight years afterwards, he eventually made 

 friendly overtures, and all was well. I am glad of this, 

 for I can hardly think that a man who had been Master 

 of the York and Ainsty until a few years before could 

 really have been accessory to the evil thing which his 

 keepers undoubtedly did. 



As to Lord Londonderry, he was as young as myself, 

 and we soon became friends again. 



It was at Newburgh Priory that I think I first met 

 Lady Londonderry, and among the guests at dinner 

 was Maria Marchioness of Ailesbury, with curls of 

 various colours on her forehead, and any amount of 

 amusing talk. 



I remember that I was then seriously interested in 



