ROUGH SHOOTING 295 



" My wife was somewhat delicate, and required a 

 mild climate, so I took ' the galloper/ ran down to 

 Plymouth, and from thence to Cornwall, determined, 

 if I could, to buy a place there. I roamed about 

 the country looking at different estates, and at last 

 hit on a beautiful spot, with a nice house on it, con- 

 venient to the rail, and not too far from a good 

 country town or schools. 



" One day during my peregrinations with the 

 agent who had the selling of the property, I came 

 on one of the most lovely little cottages I ever saw, 

 placed on a slope, well sheltered from the winds, 

 myrtles and fuchsias growing luxuriously and abun- 

 dantly about, with its jessamine and honeysuckle 

 covered porch, thatched roof, well-kept grounds, 

 gardens, and brawling stream at the end of the 

 lawn. I thought it one of the most fairy-looking 

 little spots I had ever seen. 



" ' Whose cottage is that ? ' I asked. ' It is not 

 on this property, is it ? ' 



" ' Oh, no, sir, just off this land ; it belongs to 

 Mr Lenox.' 



" ' Lenox,' I breathlessly asked, ' Horace Lenox ' ? 



" ' That's it, sir — one of the nicest gentlemen in 

 these parts, and a rare sportsman : it is not his 

 own property, only hired on long lease, but he has 

 done a deal to it ; three thousand acres of good 



