6 Saddle and Sirloin. 



Highland blood was very easily roused) ordered him 

 forthwith into a cab, and taking his seat beside him, 

 drove straight off to Mr. Maxwell's inn. The latter 

 was summoned from dinner, and, on going into the 

 lobby, heard the indictment which the Duke delivered 

 with immense emphasis, holding the accused by the 

 collar. Then Mr. Maxwell struck in, appealing to the 

 Duke as one who had been in the army, and knew the 

 value of rigid discipline, and showing his Grace that 

 " my orders are only your orders — even a president 

 cannot break his own rules ;" and so the upshot of it 

 was that the Duke doffed his bonnet, and made a 

 most gracious bow — " Mr. Duncan, I humbly beg your 

 pardon ." 



Such was Hall Maxwell ; and Scotland did not let 

 one who had served her so well and so long retire 

 without a substantial reward. On January 17th, 1866, 

 he was presented with 1000 guineas and a handsome 

 service of plate, and was also requested by the direc- 

 tor's of the Society to sit to Mr. Gourlay Steell for his 

 portrait. They little thought how soon that portrait 

 (which is hung, among the few that have attained 

 such honour, in their council-chamber) would be all 

 they could look upon. He was still in the very 

 prime of his mental vigour ; and, if health had been 

 granted to him, he might have reasonably looked for- 

 ward to another twenty years of usefulness in his 

 county. It was not to be He held up just so long 

 as the connexion between him and the Society was 

 unbroken, and then his friends saw with sorrow that 

 Edinburgh would soon know him no more. About 

 the middle of May he quitted it, in very feeble 

 health ; his fainting-fits became more frequent as the 

 summer sped on, and on August 25th he died, at his 

 own house, Torr Hall, Renfrewshire, in the 55th year 

 of his age. 



A quiet evening with some really good coursers is 

 no light privilege, especially if the kettle is singing a 



