The Beginning of the End, 35 1 



to territorial arrangements is not confined to the East, 

 but I sincerely trust that the unhappy dissension may 

 be terminated without an appeal to the congress which 

 holds its sittings in St. Jameses Street. 



The Quorn have had a grand season on the whole, 

 and Melton has never been fuller of visitors. At no 

 time has a better lot of sportsmen or grander horses 

 been seen in the shires. Under the able and judicious 

 management of Mr. Coupland, with the aid of such a 

 clipping good huntsman as Tom Firr, and with a pack 

 of such first-rate dashing hounds, the season could not 

 fail to be satisfactory. The only drawback has been a 

 deficiency of foxes in some quarters ; but steps, I hear, 

 will be taken to remedy this defect — successfully, I 

 hope. The completion of the railways now in the 

 course of construction, and the consequent withdrawal 

 of the navvies and their hangers-on, will be the means 

 of contributing to that much-to-be-desired result. 

 That branch of industry is not favourably disposed to 

 the preservation of game, or foxes either. On the 

 morning following the meet at Egerton Lodge I rose 

 to find that the easterly winds had resumed their sway, 

 and that the customary downfall of snow might un- 

 doubtedly be depended upon by those who intended to 

 honour Croxton Park Races with their presence. It 

 will be apparent, even to those of the meanest capacity, 

 that the frequenters of Melton have no occasion to sit 

 down and sigh over past delights ; for, with the races 

 in the morning, a ball at Colonel Markham^s in the 

 evening, and the last public meet of the Belvoir at 

 Croxton Park on the following day, there was a pros- 

 pect of a good time yet. By the way, through the 

 kindness of Colonel Burnaby, I had the opportunity of 



