HUNTING THE FOX 129 



of Curtain Crescent Pimlieo afterwards became 

 the wife, of Lord Ladythorne, to her son Billy 

 Pringle, instructing him how to behave while on a 

 visit to Tantivy Castle, and the naive replies of 

 Billy to his mother, are masterpieces in a manner 

 all their own. Lord Ladythorne is admirably 

 drawn. He had hunted Featherbedfordshire in 

 a style of great magnificence for nearly forty 

 years, so he cannot have been far short of sixty, 

 but in spite of his years " no pretty woman in 

 town or country ever wanted a friend if he was 

 aware of it," and he said that " the sofa and not 

 the saddle was the proper place for the ladies." 



Plain or Ringlets is not so clever as Ask Mamma, 

 but it contains a first-class comedy scene, depicting 

 an interview between Mr. Jasper Goldspink, the 

 local banker, and the Duke of Tergiversation, the 

 needy political hack peer who was always ready 

 to change his party in order to get office. 



Mr. Romford'' s Hounds is perhaps better known 

 than either Ask Mamma or Plain or Ringlets, and 

 is certainly too well known to call for much com- 

 ment here. One cannot help forming a sneaking 

 affection for Facey the Impostor, because he 

 knew so well how to hunt a Fox ; and the author 

 contrives to invest Mrs. Somerville, the soi-disante 

 sister of Facey, once Lucy Glitters the circus rider 

 and now grass widow of our old friend Soapey 

 Sponge, with sufficient charm to make us think 



K 



