The Hunting Year 



that would have been glad to welcome him on 

 the terms he offered? For this reason. The 

 whirligig of Time had brought about events 

 which made him the presumptive heir to a small 

 estate in that country, and he wanted to see a 

 little of it. Being a modest man he did not 

 choose to advertise his possible future con- 

 nection with the country, in which again I think 

 he was quite right. 



In course of time he succeeded to the estate, 

 but he went elsewhere for his huntings and did 

 not support in any way the Hunt in which his 

 estate was situated. " They would not have 

 me when I was poor," he said to his intimates, 

 " I won't have them now that they have need of 

 me." 



I do not think even now that the Hunt ever 

 knew the circumstances of the case — in fact I 

 know it did not, from what I have heard people 

 say about the gentleman in question. 



Whether he was right in taking up that 



position my readers may decide for themselves. 



At any rate the story points the moral that it is 



always advisable to make friends. 



104 



