6 A Question of Bits 



at the doors of which women and children stood to 

 watch, and so to the covert. It was a bit late, so that 

 after exchanging a few hasty greetings with his friends, 

 the Master nodded to the huntsman, who in tm^n waved 

 to the pa^^k. In a very few seconds they are in the 

 well-grown coppice, the thick undergrowth of w^hich 

 looked just the place for a fox. As for Chippenham, it 

 was obvious that he did not intend to ride. We had 

 fancied, and somehow or other had hoped, that the 

 chesnut, w^hich unquestionably had been behaving badly, 

 was merely being ridden about till the sport began. 

 Chippenham, however, sat holding the reins of the 

 phaeton horses, as if with no intention of leaving the 

 seat. The chesnut did not reappear. Lawford watched 

 with a contemptuous grin till he entered the covert, which 

 the huntsman was losing no time in drawing up wind. 



Of Chippenham we knew little. He had been abroad 

 for a long time, and had only come a few weeks before 

 to stay with his aunt. Lady Stockbridge ; but, whatever 

 Lawford might say, Chippenham rode the three or 

 four hunters he had brought down with much skill and 

 courage. We felt that he w^as a sportsman, and knew 

 that he was a gentleman, while, straight as Lawford did 

 undoubtedly ride, we did not feel that he, with his 

 constant habit of detracting from everyone's good points, 

 could be granted either of those enviable titles w^hich 

 were Chippenham's due. 



Something is astir in the covert. A loud halloo 

 resounds from the far end, and the remarks the hunts- 

 man is muttering to himself as he canters down the 

 ride a moment afterwards show what opinion he holds 

 of the young enthusiast who did not know when to hold 

 his tongue. If there were time, and our excellent Joe 



