CHAPTER III 



A WEEK AT MARKET HARBOROUGH 



Mr. Sawyer's opinion of Market Harborough — Nim South on the 

 subject — Convenience of the Town — Difference between it 

 and Melton — Prices of Houses — Surrounding Villages — 

 Hotels — Easily Reached from Town — Railway lines that 

 serve — Influence of Canals and Railways — Market Har- 

 borough compared with Melton — Reputation for Wire — 

 Monday with Mr. Fernie— Lubenham and other Fixtures — 

 Features of the Monday Country — The Monday alternatives : 

 the Woodland Pytchley or the Pytchley — Tuesday with the 

 Cottesmore — Or with Mr. Fernie — Or a Tuesday off — Wednes- 

 day with the Pytchley — The Country — Lilbourne Gorse — 

 Stanford Park — The Hemplow — Mr. Tailby's Thursdays — 

 Some great Runs — Nimrod on the Sport — The Sheepthorns 

 — Friday with Mr. Fernie^Mr. Greene — Alternate Fridays 

 with the Pytchley — The Fences — The Cottesmore on Satur- 

 days — Future of Market Harborough — Its Polo Club. 



" The very place. I wonder I never thought of it 

 before. Strike me ugly if I won't go to Market 

 Harborough." There is no doubt that when Whyte- 

 Melville's immortal hero, Mr. Sawyer, uttered these 

 words he spoke wisely. He had not arrived at the 

 resolution without due consideration of the best place 

 for a country squire of moderate means to enjoy fox- 

 hunting in the Shires. He had considered and dis- 

 missed Leamington, since its social advantages did 

 not appeal to a bachelor who loved hunting and 

 made no great figure in a ball-room. Then the author 

 goes on to say that Mr. Sawyer was unwilling to face 



the crowds of a Pytchley Wednesday, though he 



64 



