i'86 THE HUNTING FIELD 



dining-room, so as to manceuvre herself next him at dinner, 

 ring after ring, and door after door opened, and no Sir Rasper. 

 Everybody but him. 



Cruel Lord Uncommonswell ! or rather cruel fox that took 

 the cruel hounds such a cruel distance. When Sir Rasper 

 Smashgate ought to have been sitting down to dinner at 

 Mr. Cottonwool's, he was sucking off a pair of waterlogged 

 boots and tripey leathers at a village public twenty miles off. 

 They had had a tremendous run ! They were sure to have, 

 indeed. It only requires a man to have a particular engage- 

 ment in the east to ensure him a splitting run to the west. 

 Sir Rasper had been uncommonly well carried ; indeed, he 

 generally was, and wearing a blank button had felt himself 

 bound to ride for the honour of the world at large. He 

 was so elevated that we are almost ashamed to say he never 

 thought of Cottonwool, Henrietta, or anybody, until he got 

 his huge legs dived into a bucket of hot water. Then, as he 

 sat thinking the run over, and debating whether he should 

 have "beef-steak," or "mutton-chop" — "mutton-chop" or 

 " beef-steak," for dinner, it occurred to him that he ought to 

 be dining at Cottonwool's. 



" Ah, well, never mind," observed he, " I said I'd come if 

 I could," and, with that easy indifference, he settled both 

 hopes and fears, and the fate of all the roasts, boils, jellies, 

 and creams. Much as women may pretend to like hunting, 

 there is not one old one in a hundred who will admit the 

 excuse of a " late day " for a non-appearance at dinner, at 

 least at a " spread." Dinner, in their minds, is the grand 

 business of life, it takes precedence of everything. " Men 

 have no business to accept invitations, if they ain't sure they 

 can come. All stuff about the hounds — mere excuse — Mr. 

 Spoonbill and Mr. Slowman could both come away — why 

 couldn't Sir Rasper — could, if he would — where there's a will 

 there's a way " ; and then they generallj' wind up with the old 



