MY FIRST DAY'S FOX-HUNTING 137 



as jolly as topers — sancl-boys, I mean. I of course 

 assisted her to get into the saddle ; but I was so 

 stiff and so giddy (from the excitement of the 

 morning) that I very nearly let her down. We 

 were some time without finding another fox ; and 

 as my cousins had gone off with old Evans and 

 Captain De la Grace, and as Miss Trafford seemed 

 so amiable, I determined to improve the occasion. 

 We were on the common just outside Sir John's 

 park, the beauties of which I was very particular in 

 admiring ; and having thus got Miss Trafford to 

 lag behind, I took the opportunity of unbosoming 

 my heart to her. I got very excited, and my voice 

 trembled with emotion (or something of that sort), 

 as I made her a pathetic offer of my heart and hand. 

 I paused (as well as my excitement would allow me, 

 for it had brought on the hiccups), and she replied. 

 I can't remember exactly what she said, but it was 

 something about sparing me the pain of a refusal, 

 and about not marrying a man who couldn't take a 

 fence. I offered to jump the park wall if she would 

 only listen to my suit. She agreed ; and bracing 

 up all my spirits, I rode full tilt at the wall ; and 

 over I went, leaving my horse on the wrong side ! 

 And as I turned an involuntary somersault I 

 thought I heard sounds like " the receding foot- 

 steps of a cantering horse." {Note. — This is a 



