LORD SUFFIELD 183 



that he could have done nothing to bring about any 

 improvement. Lord Suffield went abroad immediately 

 after his resignation. 



Just before he went out of office, however, a meeting 

 of the owners of coverts was held at the Three Crowns, 

 Leicester, at which it was agreed by Lord Wilton, as 

 representative of Melton, that Lord Hastings (master 

 of the Donington hounds) should draw Prestwold. It 

 was also agreed that the Quorn coverts should be 

 managed by a county committee, who should pay the 

 rent and charges for damage, an arrangement which was 

 calculated to save the next master about ^2000 a year. 

 Those who lived beyond the confines of Melton hoped 

 very sincerely that the resolution would be carried, as 

 during several previous masterships the idea had pre- 

 vailed that the Melton clique had had too much to say 

 to the conduct of affairs, and that the country had not 

 been hunted quite fairly. With the retirement then of 

 Lord Suffield, the thirteenth master of the Quorn, 

 including Mr. Boothby, there came to an end a reign 

 which can only be regarded as more or less of a failure. 



