THE HAUGHTYSHIRE HUNT. 117 



son up the steps and into the brilhantly-hghted hall. Hardly 

 had the good lady entered the cloak-room and divested herself 

 of her multifarious wraps, than two more of the softer sex were 

 shown in — Mrs. and Miss Holder-Loof — who ' didn't know ' 

 Mrs. Muggins, so kept their glances studiously directed the other 

 way, and not all the efforts of the Alderman's wife sufficed to 

 catch the vacant eye, which saw nothing that it didn't want 

 to see. After another two minutes, the cloak-room began to 

 till up, and then the chatter of greetings, directions to the 

 attendants, requests for more light on the mirrors, and an 

 extra supply of pins, here and there, soon became almost 

 deafening. Shoes were changed, mufflers cast aside, fairy 

 eye-lashes disentangled, noses powdered, and then the irregular 

 infantry filed slowly out towards the field of battle, thoroughly 

 prepared for conquest. 



The Corn Exchange at Mudbury, as everyone knows, 

 adjoins the ' Duke of Haughtyshire's Arms,' and from that 

 excellent hostelry the refreshments and supper were to l)e 

 provided. One of the last of the old coaching inns, this, 

 everything was done right well there, from a loin-chop to a 

 gorgeous banquet, and the customer might safely rely upon 

 all being of the best. We ourselves are an angel that this 

 house has often entertained unawares. Waiters were even 

 now constantly running in from the hotel, with relays of rolled 

 l)read-and-butter, cakes, coffee, and tea, for the delectation of all 

 who chose to partake of them, and following the waiters, kicking 

 out their legs, arranging buttonholes, or drawing on gloves a 

 size too small for them, came some half-dozen or so young 

 gentlemen of the ' unattached ' brigade, who had taken up 

 their quarters for the night at the once famous posting-house, 



