FAITHFUL AND THUE. 85 



"Certainly/' was my reply; "and I dare say 

 we can give you some dinner also, as we generally 

 dine at seven o'clock in the summer months." 



AVhen Ave Avere sitting together after dinner he 

 said, " You Avill not be offended if I leave you very 

 early to-morrow morning ? " 



" Not offended," I ansAvered, " although not 

 very Avell pleased at yom* paying us so short a 

 visit." 



" Well," he continued, " there is a cause for 

 it, and I will tell you thus much : a friend of mine, 



whom you knoAv, R , has got himself into 



trouble, of Avhich I heard only this morning, and 

 therefore I am desirous to see if I can assist him, 

 and that w^ithout delay." 



I had also good reason to know him as a friend 

 indeed, Avhen left almost single-handed to contend 

 against fearful odds, with the highest influences 

 and poAver combined, to overthroAv me in a hunt- 

 ing dispute. Lord Ducie stood resolutely forw^ard 

 to support me, and defeated my opponents. 



After retiring from the hunting-field. Lord Ducie 

 devoted a great part of his time to agricultural 

 pursuits, and became not less celebrated as a 

 breeder of short-horns, than he had been previ- 

 ously as a breeder of fox-hounds, which was suffi- 

 ciently manifested by the high prices obtained for 



