Scarlet. 255 



Sir Thomas's, that he never but once honoured Jem 

 Hills with his company. " Hark to the Parson /" said 

 George Carter, who was out that day ; and well he 

 might, as he was not in his best of humours. However, 

 he only saw a twenty-five minutes' thing, and went 

 home at twelve, thereby just missing a brilliant one 

 hour and five minutes from Tackley Heath. At times 

 he was very wild in the field, and liked to slip away 

 with a couple of hounds, till he and Tom Wingfield 

 got to an explanation on the point at Geddington Low 

 Pastures. No one seems to remember how he agreed 

 with " The great Mr. Shaw," who had ridden after 

 Lord Moira, and then hunted his beagles in Derby- 

 shire three days a week ; but a scene between him 

 and old Stephen Goodall at Cottesford Heath set the 

 country dinner tables in a roar. 



The hounds were in cover nearly an Stephen Good- 

 hour, and none of them spoke but Caro- ^^^'^ Polecat. 

 line, and she only at five minutes intervals. Stephen, 

 who was always a perfect Job, kept cheering her each 

 time, till at last Griff lost all patience, and dashing 

 down one of the rides, roared " Why don't you hold 

 your tongue^ Stephen^ and come away '^ Ifs only a pole- 

 cat'^ There was a deep pause, and from the depths 

 of the wood came Stephen's rejoinder, " Patience and 

 water gruel, Mr. Lloyd, is both good things — have at 

 'em Caroline!" and at that moment the fox was viewed 

 away, and a capital run of an hour brought him to 

 hand. " This is a very fine polecat, Mr. Lloyd,'' said 

 Stephen, as he held it triumphantly aloft, and the 

 Parson growled out, that " We must all be mistaken 

 sometimes." 



In spite of the weight, old Stephen had Stephen 

 a most wonderful power of getting to Goodall. 

 hounds, and when the renowned " Ben Foote, of the 

 Craven,** was the first whip, he had only to cast the 

 hounds twice in the season. He seemed to drop on 

 them out of a balloon ; and on the second occasion^ 



