86 THE HUNTING-FIELD. 



and far more still in condition, than four out of 

 the five under Mr. Forester^s direction ; the third 

 was my old friend I had seen in Windsor Park ; 

 the fourth my friend^s direct road hack, and, as I 

 was told, a trotter. Here was nothing to find 

 fault with either in horses or men, and I gladly 

 complimented the latter on the care evidently 

 taken with their charge. 



The first dinner-bell ringing stopped further 

 stable comments, my friend, w^hen in the country, 

 venturing on the very anti- aristocratic practice of 

 dining at five. After a man has partaken of an 

 excellent salmon cutlet, part of a sweetbread, 

 duck, as waiters term it, "to follow,^^ the whole 

 finished with some jelly, he is far on the road to 

 being on tolerably good terms with things in 

 general ; but when to these are added some excel- 

 lent sparkling Moselle, warmed by some old sherry, 

 and the palate prepared for the dessert by a glass 

 of Curayoa, he is mostly in good humour with 

 every thing and every body : so was I, save and 

 except Mr. Forester and four of his horses. 



As I had commenced discussing my friend^s bees- 

 wing, he led on to the discussion of his horses, 

 commencing, in his opinion I suppose par excel- 

 lence, with his hunters. 



" Well,^^ said he, '' may I hope you saw some- 

 thing you liked in my little stud ? ^^ 



" I must be very fastidious indeed if I did not," 



