THE queen's county HOUNDS. 237 



Rallywood silent, too. We'll draft them, Flood, we'll 

 draft them," he used to say to his most intimate friend, 

 Colonel Flood of Badger Hill— a *' four-bottle man," 

 who once fuddled the bishop on visitation, and wore 

 his wig next morning, drawing, as was then the custom, 

 on their fox. 



A story told of Flood is worth relating, en passant. 

 A friend of his — and none of them were teetotallers — 

 had a very admirable butler. In those days the habits 

 of their masters and the convivialities of the dining- 

 room were naturally imitated in the servants' hall, and 

 what magnums of claret effected up-stairs, whiskey- 

 punch did below, but " Billy" Guilfoyle was ever equal 

 to the task of getting his master and his guests to bed. 

 The Colonel was nightly in a condition to require his 

 services, and continued persuasion on his part and the 

 offer of very munificent wages to the servant at length 

 induced Guilfoyle's master to permit him to exchange 

 his service for that of the Colonel, on the hitherto preva- 

 lent honourable conditions that master and man should 

 not be drunk together. There was, however, a proba- 

 tionary month stipulated upon by the high-contracting 

 parties, which passed to the entire satisfaction of the 

 hard-going owner of Badger Hill. 



Then occurred the following scene : The time is 

 breakfast, the Colonel seated. The Major-Domo has 

 supplied him with the reviver of that period — a " can 

 of flip" — and the dialogue opens thus : — 



Guil. — " I'm sorry to go, Colonel, but the month's 

 up. I must go." 



Col. — '• Go, d — n it, go ! Why, Guilfoyle ? why 

 go ? Is not everything as you wish it below ? You 

 can go. Do as you like, you know. But, d — n it, 



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