L ^54 ] 



CHAPTER IV. 



Lord Lovat — The late Simon Lord Lovat — Extract from the County 

 Getitkman respecting him — Lady Lovat — The present Lord Lovat 

 — Colonel the Hon. Alastair Fraser — The Dowager Lady Lovat — 

 Death of Colonel Fraser. 



Twenty-four years ago everything was coiileur de 

 rose. Since then, however, many sad events have 

 occurred to mar the reminiscences of those halcyon 

 days. Many of the Lovats, those best of sportsmen, 

 have passed away. True it is that we ourselves must 

 make up our minds to one day lie as dead as any stag 

 which has succumbed to the fateful bullet ; but until 

 that time I must mourn the loss of the kindest and 

 truest friends I ever owned, a loss I can never replace. 

 When old age overtakes us we are forced to recon- 

 cile ourselves as we best can to the fact that ' what 

 must be, must'; and when the late Lord Lovat's father 

 died, we all grieved for the loss of a dear old friend, 

 whose sole anxiety was that everyone around him 

 should enjoy his hospitality, and who, unlike many 

 men, was ever far more pleased if his friend and guest 

 secured the ' head of the season ' than if such good 

 luck had fallen to his own rifle. It was his greatest 

 pleasure to instruct a youngster in the science of deer- 

 stalking, salmon-fishing and shooting — instruction 



