THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 161 



longer to be drawn about by those old black horses, with 

 long tails, only fit for a funeral ; and that Mr. Francis 

 was going to London to buy four blood bays, as the 

 coachman, I think, called them." 



" I don't believe it, Sophy, 1 ' said Miss Raby. 



" It : s true, upon my honour, ma'am," resumed the 

 Abigail ; " and not only that, but you are to have a new 

 coach as well, to be built under Mr. Francis's direction. 

 And I suppose you have heard of his new horse ? " 



" Xot I, indeed," was the reply. 



" La, miss ; why he bought him out a hunting with the 

 foxhounds, the day before yesterday, for 300 guineas, and 

 I heard Jack Wilson ordered by his groom to go to Sir 

 John Inkleton's to fetch him home to-morrow." 



" I never heard a word of it," said the young lady. 



" Nor of the house in Scotland neither, miss ? ;: 



"Xot a word." 



" Oh ! he has taken such a fine house ; that is, it is 

 between him, Sir John, and Lord Dauntley, I think 

 they call him ; and they are to give 1000 a year for it, 

 to shoot grouse and stags upon, and some other things, 

 whose names I can't remember." 



" You astonish me, Sophy," said Miss Raby. 



"All, as true as the Bible, miss, I assure you," resumed 

 the Abigail ; " all the servants in the hall know it, 

 and " 



" But, Sophy, surely Francis must be mad," said the 

 sister ; " whence is the money to come, to do all this ? " 



" Oh, miss," replied Sophy, " that is all right. The 

 coachman says, he will be bound Mr. Beaumont has given 

 him 10,000. You know, Miss Raby, he is very rich, and 

 how fond he is of Mr. Francis." 



" I know my uncle is fond of him," replied Miss Raby, 

 " and that he is rich ; but he is not so fond of parting with 

 his money, Sophy, as all that comes to. And, pray, have 

 you heard anything else of my brother? You really 

 alarm me, Sophy ! " 



" Nothing particular, ma'am," answered Sophy ; " only 

 they were saying last night, in the hall, that Mr. Francis 

 was going to make strange alterations about the game : 

 that he was very cross with old Perren, the keeper, about 

 his dogs, because they would not charge; that he gave 

 Jack Perren half a guinea for licking young Mr. Hall, of 

 the Ashes, because he called him proud Mr. Francis, I 

 II 



