128 MY FIRST DAY'S FOX-HUNTING 



heard a loud laughing in my rear. I seemed to be 

 familiar with the sound. I turned " about " in the 

 saddle, and who should I see but my cousins, not 

 twenty yards behind me ! I was inclined to go 

 home, and I should have done so only I saw that 

 my cousins, besides being attended by Evans in 

 livery, were accompanied by their old schoolfellow, 

 Miss Trafford, a young lady to whom I had been 

 introduced at our last county ball. To enjoy her 

 presence I determined to brave all. I turned my 

 horse round and raised my hat as much as the 

 tight guard would let me, and in another moment 

 I was at the mercy of my tormentors. " Ha ! ha ! 

 ha ! " laughed my cousin Emily ; " we saw you 

 stealing out of the garden gate at six o'clock this 

 morning." " Yes," chimed in Julia, " and with 

 those splendid top-boots on ! You thought to 

 avoid us, did you ? " "I say, Adolphus," con- 

 tinued Emily, " when you hire a horse-box again, 

 and don't want anyone to know, don't let your 

 name and destination be labelled on it like an ad- 

 vertisement ! Ha ! ha ! ha ! " I was completely 

 sold, and I was obliged to acknowledge it ; and 

 when I heard that my cousins had actually ridden 

 ten miles to the meet, whilst I had come by train, 

 I felt that I must do something to retrieve my re- 

 putation in the eyes of Miss Trafford. 



