221 



■and ''' there was always room for me at his house if 

 I went to Edinburgh or London/^ 



With the exception of Mr. Train of Kelso, Will 

 was never painted by any one except Mr. Frank 

 Grant. Of him and his early studies in Edinburgh 

 he retains one precious memento in Ruby and Blue 

 Maid, Y/hich went in from Dalkeith to be drawn, 

 and " had a narrow escape for their lives/^ ''^ There 

 were hounds," he observes, " in that studio, and all 

 over the place — hounds from Fife and all places, till 

 the mistress said she would have them hanged/^ 

 These two, were only sketched in by the young artist, 

 and Mr. Watson Gordon finished them. Darling^s 

 head is by Mr. Grant, and a present from the late Sir 

 David Baird ; and the silver fox^s head testifies to Mr. 

 Campbell of Saddell's recollection of the hunts, in 

 which they had ridden side by side. With all these 

 relics and reminiscences of the grand old school, we 

 can hardly wonder at one great article of WilFs 

 belief: "The young^uns are a deal mair consequence 

 in their ain opinion, and we don^t ken if they^re 

 so much better. Faith ! it^s quite true." 



As to hounds. Pleader began him from Mr. 

 Bailey^s kennel in 1816, and for this slice of Lons- 

 dale Jester andYarboro^ Tidings he gave the huntsman 

 ^1. Saladin, the sire of Osbaldeston^s Furrier, was 

 very old Avhen he came, and did no good; whereas 

 Lonsdale^s Javelin, a bigger dog and a capital hunter, 

 did a great deal. Harewood Merlin came in a young 

 draft, and had a wall-eye like a hawk, to which he owed 



