THE OLD YEAR OUT. 113 



the top rig o' the greensit piece " (Aufjlire, the top ridge 

 qf the greensward — for he was evidently born of the 

 shire). Darkly as the many errors of his previous 

 life must have been held up before him by the same 

 tongue ; black and base antl unprecedented as his 

 conduct had been pictured many times and oft (till he 

 had come to regard a mere modicum of reproach as 

 positive approval), I doubt if he ever truly realised his 

 unworthiness till now — when he almost cannoned 

 against his outraged employer. But let us draw a veil. 

 His feelings have doubtless been blunted long ago. 

 Ours should be somewhat callous (])robably are) after 

 that still harder taskmaster, the world, has ridden rough- 

 shod over us for an uncertain number of years. But 

 even we are still excitable ; sometimes almost enthusi- 

 astic — never more so than when we have safely issued 

 through the turmoil and anxiety of the earlier stages of 

 a burst to hounds, and for once have succeeded in joining 

 that chosen band of a score — or twain at the most — who 

 are reallv " seeinsr the run." At such times, in mind and 

 thought — or even, it may be, in words of haste — we are 

 apt to be just only to ourselves. 



The first sharp edge of the gallop was now gone. 

 What took its place was bright enough ; but a quick 

 game of foUow-my-leader (where the country admits of 

 more than one or two leaders to show us where we may 

 ride in safety) is better than the scramble of a big field 

 all going the same pace, and when any little regard for 

 hounds on the part of an individual leads only to his 

 being at once thrust to the rear. Matters, and pace, 



