8 THE HUNTING FIELD 



fortably, or ten on a pinch, is now made to hold eighteen. Of 

 course the curtains are all drawn, the shutters are shut, and 

 there is a rousing fire. Oh, Hookey Walker ! Hookey Walker ! 

 to what little purpose you wrote the " Original." 



From eighteen take " one," says the Master in his own 

 mind, and seventeen remain. Seventeen glasses of wine at 

 dinner ! Awful ! Awful at any time, but doubly so when 

 supplied by a bumper-filling clown, who will shut out the sky- 

 light, or give the objector the balance over his hand or up his 

 sleeve. Pigskin is the only man our Master dare compound 

 with by clubbing with another : but then comes the question 

 who is to be the other ? and also the consideration whether it 

 is not better to go the " entire animal," and drink with the 

 whole — Robertina, Juliana, Henrietta, and all. 



Drinking, however, is only half his work. That is a duty he 

 owes his host. He must eat out of compliment to the lady. 

 Some ladies, too, are so unconscionable. The more a man 

 eats the more they require him to eat. " Oh, j-ou must let me 

 send you some of this. Oh, you must take a little of that. 

 Oh, you must try some of t'other. You reall}- eat nothing. 

 Dinner eater ! I never saw such a dinner eater ! Dinner's 

 wasted on you, however." 



Kind hostess, let us say a word on behalf of our poor Master. 

 Give what you give freely and heartily, but give your guests 

 credit for knowing their stomachs better than you do. 



What with good dinners, middling dinners, and bad dinners 

 • — what with good wine, middling wine, and bad wine — what 

 with the room always at fever heat, have we not made out our 

 case that a Master requires the propensities of Bacchus, with 

 the appetite of a Dando, the digestion of an ostrich, and the 

 fire-defying properties of a salamander, or of Monsieur Chabot, 

 the Fire King ? We think we have, even to the satisfaction of 

 Susannah aforesaid. 



Dining out is almost indispensable for a Master of Fo.xhounds, 



