218 



Spigot and his two footmen answered the summons, while his lord- 

 ship's groom rushed out of a side-door, with his mouth full of cold 

 meat, to take his hack. 



Having given his fiat hat to Spigot, his whip-stick to one foot- 

 man, and his gloves to the other, he .proceeded to the family tableau 

 in the drawing-room. 



Though his lordship lived so much by himself he was neither 

 gauche nor stupid when he went into society. Unlike Mr. Spraggon, 

 he had a tremendous determination of words to the mouth, and went 

 best pace with hi3 tongue instead of coughing and hemming, and 

 stammering and stuttering, wishing himself " well out of it," as the 

 saying is. His seclusion only seemed to sharpen his faculties and 

 make him enjoy society more. He gushed forth like a pent-up 

 fountain. He was not a bit afraid of the ladies — rather the contrary; 

 indeed, he would make love to them all — all that were good-looking, 

 ^t least, for he always candidly said that he " wouldn't have anything 

 to do with the ugly 'uns." If anything he was rather too vehement, 

 and talked to the ladies in such an earnest interested sort of way, as 

 made even bystanders think there was i: something in it," whereas, in 

 point of fact, it was mere manner. 



He began as soon as ever he got to Jawleyford Court, — at least 

 as soon as he had paid his respects all round and got himself partially 

 thawed at the fire ; for the cold had struck through his person, his 

 fine clothes being a poor substitute for his thick double-milled red 

 coat, blankety waistcoat, and Jersey shirt. 



There are some good-natured well-meaning people in this world, 

 who think that fox-hunters can talk of nothing but hunting, and who 

 put themselves to very serious inconvenience in endeavouring to get 

 up a little conversation for- them. We knew a bulky old boy of this 

 sort, who invariably, after the cloth was drawn, and he had given 

 each leg a kick-out to see if they were on, commenced with " "Well, I 

 suppose Mr. Harkington has a fine set of dogs this season ? " "A 

 fine set of dogs this season ! " What an observation ! How on earth 

 could any one hope to drive a conversation on the subject with such 

 a commencement ? 



Some ladies are equally obliging in this respect. They can stoop 

 to almost any subject that they think will procure them husbands. 

 Music ! — if a man is fond of music, they will sing themselves into 

 his good graces in no time. Painting ! — oh, they adore painting — 

 though in general they don't profess to be great hands at it them- 

 selves. Balls, boating, archery, racing, — all these they can take a 

 livety interest in ; or, if occasion requires, can go on the serious tack 

 and hunt a parson with penny subscriptions for a clothing club or 

 soup-kitchen. 



Fox-hunting ! — we do not know that fox-hunting is so safe a 

 speculation for young ladies aa any of the foregoing. There are 



