294 THE CREAM OF LEICESTERSHIRE. [Seasox 



for too many where they have glanced through the corner 

 rails. You are lucky if you are early in the hovering throng, 

 all so madly eager for a chance. If you let twenty before you 

 now you are twenty behind, and will ride half unsighted 

 through the coming burst. For good and fair as is the 

 country here, the fences offer only a certain number of open- 

 ings ; and even twenty men cannot ride abreast, with hounds 

 running as they will to-day. 



And to think that, witli a meet at twelve — a meet at Bag- 

 grave — nay, more, the last meet of the Quorn on the grass — 

 nearly half of Melton should have been late ! So late, indeed, 

 that even the half hour of grace, and hospitality was of no 

 avail — to save them from gnashing of teeth as thej' trotted on 

 far in the wake, from sackcloth that evening, or from ashes 

 for a month to come. Alas ! alas ! As one who has made 

 every possible experiment in delay, and is appreciative in the 

 fidlest degree of the luxury of dilatoriness, I pronounce most 

 emphatically, yet with all symjiathy, that to lose a run by late 

 arrival at the covertside is one marked excei)tio}i to a too 

 fascinating princii)k'. It constitutes only a bitter lun'edeem- 

 able disappointment — and is an expensive treat withal. No ; 

 poor and humble as is your servant, he holds few luxuries to 

 be so extravagant as missing a good run with a good horse. 



The lovely undulating Beeby country stretches in front ; 

 and the pack sweej) into it with a life and dash that challenge 

 pursuit, def}^ overriding, and at once proclaim a run. Firr 

 settles gladly down with them ; Captam Candy takes up the 

 running in the manner that he has made his own — and so pre- 

 eminently his o^vn — this season. (For in ever}' run I have been 

 fortunate enough to see, and in many of which I have been 

 only told, has he taken a leading part. And for the frequent 

 use made of his name I can only urge that as a public chronicler 

 I have had no choice.) Mr. Coupland, too, does not forget 

 that Master and Leader are almost synonymous terms ; Mr. 

 Pennington is galloping fast in front ; Mr. F. Gosling is right 

 up, the Colonel is close at hand, and Custance is making 



