THE SQUIRE 207 



into each hunting field, with their red baize coats, outrageous 

 breeches and boots, and marvellously caparisoned horses. Yet 

 we sometimes see objects that are not much behind the great 

 equestrian master of ceremonies in misconception of the 

 character and accoutrements. If occasional sportsmen, and 

 men dependent on the world's favours, would take our advice, 

 they would eschew the scarlet coat, by which means they 

 would escape alike the smiles of their superiors and the 

 detraction of their equals or inferiors. But here comes a 

 licensed scarlet coat wearer — Squire Trevanion of the Priory — • 

 followed by three or four friends who have come to his house 

 overnight for the convenience of the " meet." The Squire's 

 " chinchilla " whiskers, as Mrs. Gore would call them, show 

 that he is rather past the prime of life, and like men vacillating 

 between two periods, he presents a few of the characteristics of 

 the times in which he has lived. The straight cut coat has 

 never given way to the swallow tail dress, or round duck 

 hunter, neither have the lightish drab cords been superseded by 

 whites or leathers. Even the horse's tail has escaped the long 

 prevailing switch or swich, and appears in the good old- 

 fashioned square cut — Lord bless us ! we are old enough to 

 remember the time when it was the fashion not to allow horses 

 any tail at all, or ears either scarcely. When we used to see 

 nags as close docked as the old waggon horses, leaving them 

 something very like a whitening brush sticking out of their 

 hind quarters. Squire Trevanion has seen all these, and being 

 satisfied of the folly of fashion, has adopted and stuck to the 

 cut of his youth. A clinging to old customs is perhaps one 

 of his characteristics. Though he travels by railways, he 

 stoutly insists on the superiority of the chariot and posters. 

 Squire Trevanion is, however, a right, steady going, well 

 thinking man, and his word and opinion are taken when 

 those of many of the " new lights " will not go down. Honest 

 men will leave matters to his reference, rather than go to 



