CHAPTER XX. 



THE CURATE IN SPRING. 



'RIDAY the 29tli of February may of course 

 be looked upon as a Leap Year gift, an extra 

 day to our life and to the current season. In 

 traditional fancy we connect Leap Year with the upsetting 

 in sundry ways of the relations of the sexes. Li rumour 

 and fact we even hear of such topsy-turvey celebrations 

 as Leap Year Balls, whereat the timid male has to wait 

 his turn to be asked to dance, to sit out, or to go down to 

 supper. But such frivolous subversion of social econo- 

 mies has not yet been suggested for the hunting field. 

 The ladies on Leap-Friday were very forward, it is true ; 

 but only with the welcome prominence that has long 

 proved their ability in riding to hounds, and shown that 

 — seat and dress being the same — they would ask for no 

 lead, require no suggestion, on the part of the rougher 

 sex. The matter of seat and saddle would seem to be so 

 absolutely fixed by ancient custom (I confess to ignorance 

 of any other reason) that it is hopeless to expect a revo- 

 lution in this respect — at least, till the word fashion has 

 been altogether expunged from woman's dictionary, and 

 she has become a more unfettered agent than she pro- 



