224 THE III NTING FIELD 



Hunters that acute keepers — alias stewards of public dinners — 

 bait their traps with royal dukes and great men to catch, well 

 knowing that their presence will effect what no charitable 

 motive would accomplish. His Serene Highness the 

 Grand Duke of Doodleton in the chair, acts like a sugar 

 saucer upon flies, draws all the Tuft Hunters from their holes, 

 to flutter and bask in the sunshine of rojalty. Then, if hi? 

 Serene Highness takes a sham glass of wine with them, the)- 

 reckon they have established his acquaintance, if not his friend- 

 ship, for life. Harmless foible ! So let it pass. 



The most contemptible species of Tuft Hunter undoubtedl\- 

 is the assiduous, cringing, never-miss-a-chance Tuft Hunter, 

 who yet pretends to great independence, na}-, almost blunt 

 rudeness, to noblemen, when away. 



We have met Tuft Hounds of this description — men who 

 talk as if they always spoke their minds most freely — nay, in- 

 fluenced the conduct of noblemen, but who yet were the most 

 abject, servile, sneaking, fawning sycophants in " the presence," 

 the carpet e\-er saw. These are, undoubtedlj-, the skirting, 

 babbling, lurching things of the pack, from which no scientific 

 master of "tuft hounds"' would even breed. Tuft Hunting, 

 however, is not a sport to be pursued in packs — indeed tuft 

 hounds are generally so desperately- jealous that it is scarcely 

 possible to get two to run together. Tuft Hunters never agree. 

 They are always jealous of each other being on the scent, and 

 then as the pot called the kettle "black bottom,"' so the cut 

 one calls the other "Tuft Hunter." Flashing with titles, 

 calling noblemen by their names, or by their titles without their 

 names, as, " ^^'ell, duke, how are you ? '" or abbreviating their 

 names, is all bad taste, and has always the contrary effect to 

 what is intended, making the auditors set the flashers down as 

 fools, if not something worse, instead of as very " fine fellows," 

 and "deuced thick with mj- lord." Flashing behind their 

 backs is more common, but equall}- snobbish. \\'h\- not render 



