68 Sportsmen Parsons in Peace and War 



not be allowed in the club ; he felt rather uncomfortable when 

 he heard who the " vagabond " was. 



Another mteresting visitor on the Island at the same time 

 was the eccentric young man known later as the " Jubilee 

 Plunger," who attained notoriety by squandering an enormous 

 fortune in a single year. He was spending the last days of his 

 minority with his guardian. Mr. Benzon— for that was the 

 Plunger's name — was obliged to be taken by his bear-leader to 

 the Scilly Isles in order to escape from the intrigues of people 

 determined to obtain some of his money. 



The young man's boisterous spirit caused his guardian some 

 uncomfortable moments at intervals. Once Mr. Dorrien- 

 Smith of Tresco Abbey, hearing they were on the Island, kindly 

 invited them to dinner. While waiting for it to be announced, 

 their rather stately host was warming himself after the fashion 

 of men before the fire, with his coat-tails delicately and almost 

 imperceptibly divided, when the exuberant Benzon dealt the 

 elderly gentleman a resounding smack, saying, " Wake up, old 

 cock ! " 



Mr. Burnaby was present in 1868 at the ball given by the 

 Duchess of Manchester to the Prince and Princess of Wales, and 

 it interested him to watch Maria Marchioness of Ailesbur}% 

 dancing the lancers with the Prince, doing her steps and holding 

 her skirts so daintily while her partner likewise did his best, 

 saying, " We'll show them how to do it. Lady Ailesbury." And 

 so they did, with all the grace of movement of the old minuet. 



At the same ball the Princess invited the Master of the 

 Oakley, Mr. Robert Arkwright, to be her partner. Burnaby had 

 told him that the Princess was sure to ask him, and he was 

 rather frightened, as dancing was not his forte, the figures 

 of the lancers were beyond him ; when the time arrived his 

 face was full of anguish, but the Princess helped him through. 



Mr. Arkwright's son, who married Mrs. FitzGeorge as her 

 first husband, was looking on at the performance, and was, much 

 tickled at his sire's distress. " Look at the poor governor ; he 

 would give a good deal to be out of it," was his verdict. 



During Mr. Burnaby's active life he has met crowds of 

 interesting people, and an hour's chat with him is not only 

 amusing but instructive. He has been a keen observer and a 

 good friend to many. To my knowledge he has at one time and 



