138 SKETCHES IN THE HUNTING EI ELD. 



to which Miss Trewson, feeling much smaller than she 

 did when discussing Florence Earle in connection with 

 the basket-carriage and the blind pony, says, " Yes," 

 without any very great display of enthusiasm. 



The entire absence of anything like effort is the 

 peculiarity of Florence Earle's riding. Four times out 

 of five she will finish among the first rank, and though 

 the other horses (second horses some of them), and men 

 too, often show strong symptoms of the joace, she is 

 invariably as calm and self-possessed as when sitting 

 quietly at the meet. A light w^eight may aid, no doubt ; 

 and, perhaps, another reason is that when one of her 

 favourites exhibits signs of weariness she is always 

 ready to stop ; but this only partially explains the 

 secret. 



For the sport itself, the hunting of foxes, I am afraid 

 it must be confessed, to the disgust of sportsmen, that 

 Florence Earle cares nothing. When the hounds run 

 into their fox she turns round and trots away ; and that 

 she would infinitely prefer a run without even the pros- 

 pect of a kill I am certain. How does a girl like this 

 defend her participation in such a sport ? may be asked, 

 and cannot be answered, for this is a sketch and not a 

 moral essay. 



I never knew the imperturbable Wynnerly speak 

 enthusiastically on any subject but that of Florence 

 Earle, and for her, words cannot describe his admiration. 

 She rides well, and that, of course, wins one who is so 

 devoted to horses and all belonging to them ; but it is 



