A Week at Melton, 37 



fitting, well-cut habit, mounted on an exceedingly- 

 good-looking bay horse, wbicli would doubtless, bad 

 circumstances been more fortuitous, have been seen in 

 the front rank. A proj^ios of neat bats, I am reminded 

 of the two low-class betting men, en route to a *'^gate'^ 

 meeting at Kingsbury, the other day. 



" Beautiful hat, that, youVe got on to-day, old man, 

 and no mistake ! '^ says one. 



" Well,^' says the other, ^^it is a neat one ; isn^t it, 

 now ? Suits me, doesn^t it ? '' 



" Down to the ground. Where did you get it, 

 eh?^^ 



^^ At Hastings's, in Lombard Street.-*^ 



" Did you, now ? And what was the price ? ^' 



^^Can^t exactly say,^^ replied the envied possessor, 

 ^^for the gentleman wasn^t in the shop when I took 

 it.^^ 



Arriving at the meet, I find Neale with nineteen 

 couples of racing-looking hounds, light in flesh, 

 though in splendid condition, the result of high feed- 

 ing and hard work. Very pleasant in his manners 

 and workmanlike in appearance is the huntsman of the 

 Cottesmore, well mounted are the two whips, and the 

 whole turn-out is suggestive of going the pace when 

 occasion requires it. The little village of Langham is 

 all alive from one end to the other — filled, in fact, with 

 carriages, dogcarts, hunters, hacks, and pedestrians. 

 First I observe Mr. Little Gilmour, looking hale and 

 hearty as if time had dealt pleasantly with him during 

 the half-century he has hunted in this part of the 

 world; Lord Wolverton, exceedingly well mounted, 

 appearing very fresh and likely to go ; Mr. Cecil 

 Chaplin on a chestnut horse, a remarkably clever-look- 



