THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 295 



party, which we will relate in the dialogical form, as 

 saving some trouble : 



Sir Harry. " Glad to see you on your own box, Raby ; 

 when you were last on mine, I thought you would not be 

 long before you got to work. The old uncle cut up well, 

 I find, and I rejoice to think that you have settled so near 

 nie, and on so good a road. How d'ye do, Inkleton ? 

 What, Jack Webber ! are you there, with your round 

 and rosy face ? I suppose you are giving the young one 

 some instructions. But there is old Jem Powell there, I 

 see ; I beg his pardon, a thousand times, for supposing 

 any man could act the schoolmaster in his presence. Glad 

 to see you, Jem ; how smart you are to-day ! And 

 Hargrave delighted to see you ; you are one quite after 

 my own heart fond of the box and hounds a right 

 good sportsman, and the best man out of Christchurch, 

 in your time, on the pigskin." 



Frank Baby. " I believe, Sir Harry, I have three 

 friends here to whom you are not known. Allow me to 

 introduce to you Lord Edmonston, a most particular friend 

 of mine, although not one of the best on the pigskin ; also 

 Mr. Goodall and Mr. Houghton, both Christchurch men, 

 not much in our line at present, but first-class men in 

 another." 



Sir Harry. " Happy to see you all. Now let Jem take 

 your coach into the yard, and himself into the servants' 

 hall ; a bit of venison pasty will do you all no harm after 

 your drive, and I have ordered a good bowl of ' bishop.' 

 But here is Herson coming ; you will now see the best 

 and fastest team, this day, in England ; and so they 

 ought to be, for he has not a horse in his coach-stable 

 that cost him less than a hundred, and he gave two 

 hundred a-piece for the leaders he has in to-day. I know 

 them at this distance, by their action." 



Five minutes, or less, brought this splendid team to the 

 door. To some of this party Mr. Herson and his friends 

 were known, and the usual introduction to the others 

 being soon concluded, luncheon was the order of the day, 

 and ample justice was done to it by the Farndon party, 

 especially. A walk to the stable-yard followed, which 

 may be said to have been a matter of course, from the 

 nature of the parties assembled, and the prevailing 

 similarity of their tastes. The following may be relied 

 upon for its contents : 



