inthe
arrangement
to
make
Mr.
Grey
's
visit
as
little
painful
as
possible
;
and
though
such
a
discussion
at
such
a
time
might
as
well
have
been
avoided
,
the
decision
to
which
her
ladyship
had
at
last
come
with
reference
both
to
the
dinner
and
the
management
of
the
visit
was
,
no
doubt
,
the
right
one
.
Lady
Macleod
had
been
quite
correct
in
all
her
anticipations
.
At
three
o'clock
Mr.
Grey
was
announced
,
and
Lady
Macleod
,
alone
,
received
him
in
her
drawing-room
.
She
had
intended
to
give
him
a
great
deal
of
good
advice
,
to
bid
him
still
keep
up
his
heart
and
as
it
were
hold
up
his
head
,
to
confess
to
him
how
very
badly
Alice
was
behaving
,
and
to
express
her
entire
concurrence
with
that
theory
of
bodily
ailment
as
the
cause
and
origin
of
her
conduct
.
But
she
found
that
Mr.
Grey
was
a
man
to
whom
she
could
not
give
much
advice
.
It
was
he
who
did
the
speaking
at
this
conference
,
and
not
she
.
She
was
overawed
by
him
after
the
first
three
minutes
.
Indeed
her
first
glance
at
him
had
awed
her
.
He
was
so
handsome
,
—
and
then
,
in
his
beauty
,
he
had
so
quiet
and
almost
saddened
an
air
!
Strange
to
say
that
after
she
had
seen
him
,
Lady
Macleod
entertained
for
him
an
infinitely
higher
admiration
than
before
,
and
yet
she
was
less
surprised
than
she
had
been
at
Alice
's
refusal
of
him
.
The
conference
was
very
short
;
and
Mr.
Grey
had
not
been
a
quarter
of
an
hour
in
the
house
before
Martha
attended
upon
her
mistress
with
her
summons
.
Alice
was
ready
and
came
down
instantly
.
She
found
Mr.
Grey
standing
in
the
middle
of
the
room
waiting
to
receive
her
,
and
the
look
of
majesty
which
had
cowed
Lady
Macleod
had
gone
from
his
countenance
.
He
could
not
have
received
her
with
a
kinder
smile
,
had
she
come
to
him
with
a
promise
that
she
would
at
this
meeting
name
the
day
for
their
marriage
.
"
At
any
rate
it
does
not
make
him
unhappy
,
"
she
said
to
herself
.
"
You
are
not
angry
,
"
he
said
,
"
that
I
should
have
followed
you
all
the
way
here
,
to
see
you
.
"
"
No
,
certainly
;
not
angry
,
Mr.
Grey
.
All
anger
that
there
may
be
between
us
must
be
on
your
side
.
I
feel
that
thoroughly
.
"
"
Then
there
shall
be
none
on
either
side
.
Whatever
may
be
done
,
I
will
not
be
angry
with
you
.
Your
father
advised
me
to
come
down
here
to
you
.
"
"
You
have
seen
him
,
then
?
"
"
Yes
,
I
have
seen
him
.
I
was
in
London
the
day
you
left
.
"
"
It
is
so
terrible
to
think
that
I
should
have
brought
upon
you
all
this
trouble
.
"
"
You
will
bring
upon
me
much
worse
trouble
than
that
unless
—
.
But
I
have
not
now
come
down
here
to
tell
you
that
.
I
believe
that
according
to
rule
in
such
matters
I
should
not
have
come
to
you
at
all
,
but
I
do
n't
know
that
I
care
much
about
such
rules
.
"
"
It
is
I
that
have
broken
all
rules
.
"
"
When
a
lady
tells
a
gentleman
that
she
does
not
wish
to
see
more
of
him
—
"
"
Oh
,
Mr.
Grey
,
I
have
not
told
you
that
.
"
"
Have
you
not
?
I
am
glad
at
any
rate
to
hear
you
deny
it
.
But
you
will
understand
what
I
mean
.
When
a
gentleman
gets
his
dismissal
from
a
lady
he
should
accept
it
,
—
that
is
,
his
dismissal
under
such
circumstances
as
I
have
received
mine
.
But
I
cannot
lay
down
my
love
in
that
way
;
nor
,
maintaining
my
love
,
can
I
give
up
the
battle
.
It
seems
to
me
that
I
have
a
right
at
any
rate
to
know
something
of
your
comings
and
goings
as
long
as
,
—
unless
,
Alice
,
you
should
take
another
name
than
mine
.
"
"
My
intention
is
to
keep
my
own
.
"
This
she
said
in
the
lowest
possible
tone
,
—
almost
in
a
whisper
,
—
with
her
eyes
fixed
upon
the
ground
.
"
And
you
will
not
deny
me
that
right
?
"
"
I
cannot
hinder
you
.
Whatever
you
may
do
,
I
myself
have
sinned
so
against
you
that
I
can
have
no
right
to
blame
you
.
"
"
There
shall
be
no
question
between
us
of
injury
from
one
to
the
other
.
In
any
conversation
that
we
may
have
,
or
in
any
correspondence
—
"
"
Oh
,
Mr.
Grey
,
do
not
ask
me
to
write
.
"
"
Listen
to
me
.
Should
there
be
any
on
either
side
,
there
shall
be
no
idea
of
any
wrong
done
.
"
"
But
I
have
done
you
wrong
;
—
great
wrong
.
"
"
No
,
Alice
;
I
will
not
have
it
so
.
When
I
asked
you
to
accept
my
hand
,
—
begging
the
greatest
boon
which
it
could
ever
come
to
my
lot
to
ask
from
a
fellow-mortal
,
—
I
knew
well
how
great
was
your
goodness
to
me
when
you
told
me
that
it
should
be
mine
.
Now
that
you
refuse
it
,
I
know
also
that
you
are
good
,
thinking
that
in
doing
so
you
are
acting
for
my
welfare
,
—
thinking
more
of
my
welfare
than
of
your
own
.
"
"
Oh
yes
,
yes
;
it
is
so
,
Mr.
Grey
;
indeed
it
is
so
.
"
"
Believing
that
,
how
can
I
talk
of
wrong
?
That
you
are
wrong
in
your
thinking
on
this
subject
,
—
that
your
mind
has
become
twisted
by
false
impressions
,
—
that
I
believe
.
But
I
cannot
therefore
love
you
less
,
—
nor
,
so
believing
,
can
I
consider
myself
to
be
injured
.
Nor
am
I
even
so
little
selfish
as
you
are
.
I
think
if
you
were
my
wife
that
I
could
make
you
happy
;
but
I
feel
sure
that
my
happiness
depends
on
your
being
my
wife
.
"
She
looked
up
into
his
face
,
but
it
was
still
serene
in
all
its
manly
beauty
.
Her
cousin
George
,
if
he
were
moved
to
strong
feeling
,
showed
it
at
once
in
his
eyes
,
—
in
his
mouth
,
in
the
whole
visage
of
his
countenance
.
He
glared
in
his
anger
,
and
was
impassioned
in
his
love
.
But
Mr.
Grey
when
speaking
of
the
happiness
of
his
entire
life
,
when
confessing
that
it
was
now
at
stake
with
a
decision
against
him
that
would
be
ruinous
to
it
,
spoke
without
a
quiver
in
his
voice
,
and
had
no
more
sign
of
passion
in
his
face
than
if
he
were
telling
his
gardener
to
move
a
rose
tree
.
"
I
hope
—
and
believe
that
you
will
find
your
happiness
elsewhere
,
Mr.
Grey
.
"
"
Well
;
we
can
but
differ
,
Alice
.
In
that
we
do
differ
.
And
now
I
will
say
one
word
to
explain
why
I
have
come
here
.
If
I
were
to
write
to
you
against
your
will
,
it
would
seem
that
I
were
persecuting
you
.
I
cannot
bring
myself
to
do
that
,
even
though
I
had
the
right
.
But
if
I
were
to
let
you
go
from
me
,
taking
what
you
have
said
to
me
and
doing
nothing
,
it
would
seem
that
I
had
accepted
your
decision
as
final
.
I
do
not
do
so
.
I
will
not
do
so
.
I
come
simply
to
tell
you
that
I
am
still
your
suitor
.
If
you
will
let
me
,
I
will
see
you
again
early
in
January
,
—
as
soon
as
you
have
returned
to
town
.
You
will
hardly
refuse
to
see
me
.
"
"
No
,
"
she
said
;
"
I
cannot
refuse
to
see
you
.
"
"
Then
it
shall
be
so
,
"
he
said
,
"
and
I
will
not
trouble
you
with
letters
,
nor
will
I
trouble
you
longer
now
with
words
.
Tell
your
aunt
that
I
have
said
what
I
came
to
say
,
and
that
I
give
her
my
kindest
thanks
.
"
Then
he
took
her
hand
and
pressed
it
,
—
not
as
George
Vavasor
had
pressed
it
,
—
and
was
gone
.
When
Lady
Macleod
returned
,
she
found
that
the
question
of
the
evening
's
tea
arrangements
had
settled
itself
.
CHAPTER
XVI
.
The
Roebury
Club
.
It
has
been
said
that
George
Vavasor
had
a
little
establishment
at
Roebury
,
down
in
Oxfordshire
,
and
thither
he
betook
himself
about
the
middle
of
November
.
He
had
been
long
known
in
this
county
,
and
whether
or
no
men
spoke
well
of
him
as
a
man
of
business
in
London
,
men
spoke
well
of
him
down
there
,
as
one
who
knew
how
to
ride
to
hounds
.
Not
that
Vavasor
was
popular
among
fellow-sportsmen
.
It
was
quite
otherwise
.
He
was
not
a
man
that
made
himself
really
popular
in
any
social
meetings
of
men
.
He
did
not
himself
care
for
the
loose
little
talkings
,
half
flat
and
half
sharp
,
of
men
when
they
meet
together
in
idleness
.
He
was
not
open
enough
in
his
nature
for
such
popularity
.
Some
men
were
afraid
of
him
,
and
some
suspected
him
.
There
were
others
who
made
up
to
him
,
seeking
his
intimacy
,
but
these
he
usually
snubbed
,
and
always
kept
at
a
distance
.
Though
he
had
indulged
in
all
the
ordinary
pleasures
of
young
men
,
he
had
never
been
a
jovial
man
.
In
his
conversations
with
men
he
always
seemed
to
think
that
he
should
use
his
time
towards
serving
some
purpose
of
business
.
With
women
he
was
quite
the
reverse
.
With
women
he
could
be
happy
.
With
women
he
could
really
associate
.
A
woman
he
could
really
love
;
—
but
I
doubt
whether
for
all
that
he
could
treat
a
woman
well
.
But
he
was
known
in
the
Oxfordshire
country
as
a
man
who
knew
what
he
was
about
,
and
such
men
are
always
welcome
.
It
is
the
man
who
does
not
know
how
to
ride
that
is
made
uncomfortable
in
the
hunting
field
by
cold
looks
or
expressed
censure
.
And
yet
it
is
very
rarely
that
such
men
do
any
real
harm
.
Such
a
one
may
now
and
then
get
among
the
hounds
or
override
the
hunt
,
but
it
is
not
often
so
.
Many
such
complaints
are
made
;
but
in
truth
the
too
forward
man
,
who
presses
the
dogs
,
is
generally
one
who
can
ride
,
but
is
too
eager
or
too
selfish
to
keep
in
his
proper
place
.
The
bad
rider
,
like
the
bad
whist
player
,
pays
highly
for
what
he
does
not
enjoy
,
and
should
be
thanked
.
But
at
both
games
he
gets
cruelly
snubbed
.
At
both
games
George
Vavasor
was
great
and
he
never
got
snubbed
.
There
were
men
who
lived
together
at
Roebury
in
a
kind
of
club
,
—
four
or
five
of
them
,
who
came
thither
from
London
,
running
backwards
and
forwards
as
hunting
arrangements
enabled
them
to
do
so
,
—
a
brewer
or
two
and
a
banker
,
with
a
would-be
fast
attorney
,
a
sporting
literary
gentleman
,
and
a
young
unmarried
Member
of
Parliament
who
had
no
particular
home
of
his
own
in
the
country
.
These
men
formed
the
Roebury
Club
,
and
a
jolly
life
they
had
of
it
.
They
had
their
own
wine
closet
at
the
King
's
Head
,
—
or
Roebury
Inn
as
the
house
had
come
to
be
popularly
called
,
—
and
supplied
their
own
game
.
The
landlord
found
everything
else
;
and
as
they
were
not
very
particular
about
their
bills
,
they
were
allowed
to
do
pretty
much
as
they
liked
in
the
house
.
They
were
rather
imperious
,
very
late
in
their
hours
,
sometimes
,
though
not
often
,
noisy
,
and
once
there
had
been
a
hasty
quarrel
which
had
made
the
landlord
in
his
anger
say
that
the
club
should
be
turned
out
of
his
house
.
But
they
paid
well
,
chaffed
the
servants
much
oftener
than
they
bullied
them
,
and
on
the
whole
were
very
popular
.
To
this
club
Vavasor
did
not
belong
,
alleging
that
he
could
not
afford
to
live
at
their
pace
,
and
alleging
,
also
,
that
his
stays
at
Roebury
were
not
long
enough
to
make
him
a
desirable
member
.
The
invitation
to
him
was
not
repeated
and
he
lodged
elsewhere
in
the
little
town
.
But
he
occasionally
went
in
of
an
evening
,
and
would
make
up
with
the
members
a
table
at
whist
.
He
had
come
down
to
Roebury
by
mail
train
,
ready
for
hunting
the
next
morning
,
and
walked
into
the
club-room
just
at
midnight
.
There
he
found
Maxwell
the
banker
,
Grindley
the
would-be
fast
attorney
,
and
Calder
Jones
the
Member
of
Parliament
,
playing
dummy
.
Neither
of
the
brewers
were
there
,
nor
was
the
sporting
literary
gentleman
.
"
Here
's
Vavasor
,
"
said
Maxwell
,
"
and
now
we
wo
n't
play
this
blackguard
game
any
longer
.
Somebody
told
me
,
Vavasor
,
that
you
were
gone
away
.
"
"
Gone
away
;
—
what
,
like
a
fox
?
"
"
I
do
n't
know
what
it
was
;
that
something
had
happened
to
you
since
last
season
;
that
you
were
married
,
or
dead
,
or
gone
abroad
.
By
George
,
I
've
lost
the
trick
after
all
!
I
hate
dummy
like
the
devil
.
I
never
hold
a
card
in
dummy
's
hand
.
Yes
,
I
know
;
that
's
seven
points
on
each
side
.
Vavasor
,
come
and
cut
.
Upon
my
word
if
any
one
had
asked
me
,
I
should
have
said
you
were
dead
.
"
"
But
you
see
,
nobody
ever
does
think
of
asking
you
anything
.
"
"
What
you
probably
mean
,
"
said
Grindley
,
"
is
that
Vavasor
was
not
returned
for
Chelsea
last
February
;
but
you
've
seen
him
since
that
.
Are
you
going
to
try
it
again
,
Vavasor
?
"
"
If
you
'll
lend
me
the
money
I
will
.
"
"
I
do
n't
see
what
on
earth
a
man
gains
by
going
into
the
house
,
"
said
Calder
Jones
.
"
I
could
n't
help
myself
as
it
happened
,
but
,
upon
my
word
it
's
a
deuce
of
a
bore
.
A
fellow
thinks
he
can
do
as
he
likes
about
going
,
—
but
he
ca
n't
.
It
would
n't
do
for
me
to
give
it
up
,
because
—
"
"
Oh
no
,
of
course
not
;
where
should
we
all
be
?
"
said
Vavasor
.
"
It
's
you
and
me
,
Grindems
,
"
said
Maxwell
.
"
D
–
–
–
–
parliament
,
and
now
let
's
have
a
rubber
.
"
They
played
till
three
and
Mr.
Calder
Jones
lost
a
good
deal
of
money
,
—
a
good
deal
of
money
in
a
little
way
,
for
they
never
played
above
ten-shilling
points
,
and
no
bet
was
made
for
more
than
a
pound
or
two
.
But
Vavasor
was
the
winner
,
and
when
he
left
the
room
he
became
the
subject
of
some
ill-natured
remarks
.
"
I
wonder
he
likes
coming
in
here
,
"
said
Grindley
,
who
had
himself
been
the
man
to
invite
him
to
belong
to
the
club
,
and
who
had
at
one
time
indulged
the
ambition
of
an
intimacy
with
George
Vavasor
.
"
I
ca
n't
understand
it
,
"
said
Calder
Jones
,
who
was
a
little
bitter
about
his
money
.
"
Last
year
he
seemed
to
walk
in
just
when
he
liked
,
as
though
he
were
one
of
us
.
"
"
He
's
a
bad
sort
of
fellow
,
"
said
Grindley
;
"
he
's
so
uncommonly
dark
.
I
do
n't
know
where
on
earth
he
gets
his
money
from
,
He
was
heir
to
some
small
property
in
the
north
,
but
he
lost
every
shilling
of
that
when
he
was
in
the
wine
trade
.
"
"
You
're
wrong
there
,
Grindems
,
"
said
Maxwell
,
—
making
use
of
a
playful
nickname
which
he
had
invented
for
his
friend
.
"
He
made
a
pot
of
money
at
the
wine
business
,
and
had
he
stuck
to
it
he
would
have
been
a
rich
man
.
"
"
He
's
lost
it
all
since
then
,
and
that
place
in
the
north
into
the
bargain
.
"
"
Wrong
again
,
Grindems
,
my
boy
.
If
old
Vavasor
were
to
die
to-morrow
,
Vavasor
Hall
would
go
just
as
he
might
choose
to
leave
it
.
George
may
be
a
ruined
man
for
aught
I
know
—
"
"
There
's
no
doubt
about
that
,
I
believe
,
"
said
Grindley
.
"
Perhaps
not
,
Grindems
;
but
he
ca
n't
have
lost
Vavasor
Hall
because
he
has
never
as
yet
had
an
interest
in
it
.
He
's
the
natural
heir
,
and
will
probably
get
it
some
day
.
"
"
All
the
same
,
"
said
Calder
Jones
,
"
is
n't
it
rather
odd
he
should
come
in
here
?
"
"
We
've
asked
him
often
enough
,
"
said
Maxwell
;
"
not
because
we
like
him
,
but
because
we
want
him
so
often
to
make
up
a
rubber
.
I
do
n't
like
George
Vavasor
,
and
I
do
n't
know
who
does
;
but
I
like
him
better
than
dummy
.
And
I
'd
sooner
play
whist
with
men
I
do
n't
like
,
Grindems
,
than
I
'd
not
play
at
all
.
"
A
bystander
might
have
thought
from
the
tone
of
Mr.
Maxwell
's
voice
that
he
was
alluding
to
Mr.
Grindley
himself
,
but
Mr.
Grindley
did
n't
seem
to
take
it
in
that
light
.
"
That
's
true
,
of
course
,
"
said
he
.
"
We
ca
n't
pick
men
just
as
we
please
.
But
I
certainly
did
n't
think
that
he
'd
make
it
out
for
another
season
.
"
The
club
breakfasted
the
next
morning
at
nine
o'clock
,
in
order
that
they
might
start
at
half-past
for
the
meet
at
Edgehill
.
Edgehill
is
twelve
miles
from
Roebury
,
and
the
hacks
would
do
it
in
an
hour
and
a
half
,
—
or
perhaps
a
little
less
.
"
Does
anybody
know
anything
about
that
brown
horse
of
Vavasor
's
?
"
said
Maxwell
.
"
I
saw
him
coming
into
the
yard
yesterday
with
that
old
groom
of
his
.
"
"
He
had
a
brown
horse
last
season
,
"
said
Grindley
;
—
"
a
little
thing
that
went
very
fast
,
but
was
n't
quite
sound
on
the
road
.
"
"
That
was
a
mare
,
"
said
Maxwell
,
"
and
he
sold
her
to
Cinquebars
.
"
*
"
For
a
hundred
and
fifty
,
"
said
Calder
Jones
,
"
and
she
was
n't
worth
the
odd
fifty
.
"
"
He
won
seventy
with
her
at
Leamington
,
"
said
Maxwell
,
"
and
I
doubt
whether
he
'd
take
his
money
now
.
"
"
Is
Cinquebars
coming
down
here
this
year
?
"
"
I
do
n't
know
,
"
said
Maxwell
.
"
I
hope
not
.
He
's
the
best
fellow
in
the
world
,
but
he
ca
n't
ride
,
and
he
do
n't
care
for
hunting
,
and
he
makes
more
row
than
any
fellow
I
ever
met
.
I
wish
some
fellow
could
tell
me
something
about
that
fellow
's
brown
horse
.
"
"
I
'd
never
buy
a
horse
of
Vavasor
's
if
I
were
you
,
"
said
Grindley
.
"
He
never
has
anything
that
's
all
right
all
round
.
"
"
And
who
has
?
"
said
Maxwell
,
as
he
took
into
his
plate
a
second
mutton
chop
,
which
had
just
been
brought
up
hot
into
the
room
especially
for
him
.
"
That
's
the
mistake
men
make
about
horses
,
and
that
's
why
there
's
so
much
cheating
.
I
never
ask
for
a
warranty
with
a
horse
,
and
do
n't
very
often
have
a
horse
examined
.
Yet
I
do
as
well
as
others
.
You
ca
n't
have
perfect
horses
any
more
than
you
can
perfect
men
,
or
perfect
women
.
You
put
up
with
red
hair
,
or
bad
teeth
,
or
big
feet
,
—
or
sometimes
with
the
devil
of
a
voice
.
But
a
man
when
he
wants
a
horse
wo
n't
put
up
with
anything
!
Therefore
those
who
've
got
horses
to
sell
must
lie
.
When
I
go
into
the
market
with
three
hundred
pounds
I
expect
a
perfect
animal
.
As
I
never
do
that
now
I
never
expect
a
perfect
animal
.
I
like
'
em
to
see
;
I
like
'
em
to
have
four
legs
;
and
I
like
'
em
to
have
a
little
wind
.
I
do
n't
much
mind
anything
else
.
"
"
By
Jove
you
're
about
right
,
"
said
Calder
Jones
.
The
reader
will
therefore
readily
see
that
Mr.
Maxwell
the
banker
reigned
as
king
in
that
club
.
Vavasor
had
sent
two
horses
on
in
charge
of
Bat
Smithers
,
and
followed
on
a
pony
about
fourteen
hands
high
,
which
he
had
ridden
as
a
cover
hack
for
the
last
four
years
.
He
did
not
start
till
near
ten
,
but
he
was
able
to
catch
Bat
with
his
two
horses
about
a
mile
and
a
half
on
that
side
of
Edgehill
.
"
Have
you
managed
to
come
along
pretty
clean
?
"
the
master
asked
as
he
came
up
with
his
servant
.
"
They
be
the
most
beastly
roads
in
all
England
,
"
said
Bat
,
who
always
found
fault
with
any
county
in
which
he
happened
to
be
located
.
"
But
I
'll
warrant
I
'm
cleaner
than
most
on
'
em
.
What
for
any
county
should
make
such
roads
as
them
I
never
could
tell
.
"
"
The
roads
about
there
are
bad
,
certainly
;
—
very
bad
.
But
I
suppose
they
would
have
been
better
had
Providence
sent
better
materials
.
And
what
do
you
think
of
the
brown
horse
,
Bat
?
"
"
Well
,
sir
.
"
He
said
no
more
,
and
that
he
said
with
a
drawl
.
"
He
's
as
fine
an
animal
to
look
at
as
ever
I
put
my
eye
on
,
"
said
George
.
"
He
's
all
that
,
"
said
Bat
.
"
He
's
got
lots
of
pace
too
.
"
"
I
'm
sure
he
has
,
sir
.
"
"
And
they
tell
me
you
ca
n't
beat
him
at
jumping
.
"
"
They
can
mostly
do
that
,
sir
,
if
they
're
well
handled
.
"
"
You
see
he
's
a
deal
over
my
weight
.
"
"
Yes
,
he
is
,
Mr.
Vavasor
.
He
is
a
fourteen
stoner
.
"
"
Or
fifteen
,
"
said
Vavasor
.
"
Perhaps
he
may
,
sir
.
There
's
no
knowing
what
a
'
orse
can
carry
till
he
's
tried
.
"
George
asked
his
groom
no
more
questions
,
but
felt
sure
that
he
had
better
sell
his
brown
horse
if
he
could
.
Now
I
here
protest
that
there
was
nothing
specially
amiss
with
the
brown
horse
.
Towards
the
end
of
the
preceding
season
he
had
overreached
himself
and
had
been
lame
,
and
had
been
sold
by
some
owner
with
more
money
than
brains
who
had
not
cared
to
wait
for
a
cure
.
Then
there
had
gone
with
him
a
bad
character
,
and
a
vague
suspicion
had
attached
itself
to
him
,
as
there
does
to
hundreds
of
horses
which
are
very
good
animals
in
their
way
.
He
had
come
thus
to
Tattersall
's
,
and
Vavasor
had
bought
him
cheap
,
thinking
that
he
might
make
money
of
him
,
from
his
form
and
action
.
He
had
found
nothing
amiss
with
him
,
—
nor
,
indeed
,
had
Bat
Smithers
.
But
his
character
went
with
him
,
and
therefore
Bat
Smithers
thought
it
well
to
be
knowing
.
George
Vavasor
knew
as
much
of
horses
as
most
men
can
,
—
as
,
perhaps
,
as
any
man
can
who
is
not
a
dealer
,
or
a
veterinary
surgeon
;
but
he
,
like
all
men
,
doubted
his
own
knowledge
,
though
on
that
subject
he
would
never
admit
that
he
doubted
it
.
Therefore
he
took
Bat
's
word
and
felt
sure
that
the
horse
was
wrong
.
"
We
shall
have
a
run
from
the
big
wood
,
"
said
George
.
"
If
they
make
un
break
,
you
will
,
sir
,
"
said
Bat
.
"
At
any
rate
I
'll
ride
the
brown
horse
,
"
said
George
.
Then
,
as
soon
as
that
was
settled
between
them
,
the
Roebury
Club
overtook
them
.
There
was
now
a
rush
of
horses
on
the
road
altogether
,
and
they
were
within
a
quarter
of
a
mile
of
Edgehill
church
,
close
to
which
was
the
meet
.
Bat
with
his
two
hunters
fell
a
little
behind
,
and
the
others
trotted
on
together
.
The
other
grooms
with
their
animals
were
on
in
advance
,
and
were
by
this
time
employed
in
combing
out
forelocks
,
and
rubbing
stirrup
leathers
and
horses
'
legs
free
from
the
dirt
of
the
roads
;
—
but
Bat
Smithers
was
like
his
master
,
and
did
not
congregate
much
with
other
men
,
and
Vavasor
was
sure
to
give
orders
to
his
servant
different
from
the
orders
given
by
others
.
"
Are
you
well
mounted
this
year
?
"
Maxwell
asked
of
George
Vavasor
.
"
No
,
indeed
;
I
never
was
what
I
call
well
mounted
yet
.
I
generally
have
one
horse
and
three
or
four
cripples
.
That
brown
horse
behind
there
is
pretty
good
,
I
believe
.
"
"
I
see
your
man
has
got
the
old
chestnut
mare
with
him
.
"
"
She
's
one
of
the
cripples
,
—
not
but
what
she
's
as
sound
as
a
bell
,
and
as
good
a
hunter
as
ever
I
wish
to
ride
;
but
she
makes
a
little
noise
when
she
's
going
.
"
"
So
that
you
can
hear
her
three
fields
off
,
"
said
Grindley
.
"
Five
if
the
fields
are
small
enough
and
your
ears
are
sharp
enough
,
"
said
Vavasor
.
"
All
the
same
I
would
n't
change
her
for
the
best
horse
I
ever
saw
under
you
.
"
"
Had
you
there
,
Grindems
,
"
said
Maxwell
.
"
No
,
he
did
n't
,
"
said
Grindley
.
"
He
did
n't
have
me
at
all
.
"
"
Your
horses
,
Grindley
,
are
always
up
to
all
the
work
they
have
to
do
,
"
said
George
;
"
and
I
do
n't
know
what
any
man
wants
more
than
that
.
"
"
Had
you
again
,
Grindems
,
"
said
Maxwell
.
"
I
can
ride
against
him
any
day
,
"
said
Grindley
.
"
Yes
;
or
against
a
brick
wall
either
,
if
your
horse
did
n't
know
any
better
,
"
said
George
.
"
Had
you
again
,
Grindems
,
"
said
Maxwell
.
Whereupon
Mr.
Grindley
trotted
on
,
round
the
corner
by
the
church
,
and
into
the
field
in
which
the
hounds
were
assembled
.
The
fire
had
become
too
hot
for
him
,
and
he
thought
it
best
to
escape
.
Had
it
been
Vavasor
alone
he
would
have
turned
upon
him
and
snarled
,
but
he
could
not
afford
to
exhibit
any
ill
temper
to
the
king
of
the
club
.
Mr.
Grindley
was
not
popular
,
and
were
Maxwell
to
turn
openly
against
him
his
sporting
life
down
at
Roebury
would
decidedly
be
a
failure
.
The
lives
of
such
men
as
Mr.
Grindley
,
—
men
who
are
tolerated
in
the
daily
society
of
others
who
are
accounted
their
superiors
,
do
not
seem
to
have
many
attractions
.
And
yet
how
many
such
men
does
one
see
in
almost
every
set
?
Why
Mr.
Grindley
should
have
been
inferior
to
Mr.
Maxwell
the
banker
,
or
to
Stone
,
or
to
Prettyman
who
were
brewers
,
or
even
to
Mr.
Pollock
the
heavy-weight
literary
gentleman
,
I
can
hardly
say
.
An
attorney
by
his
trade
is
at
any
rate
as
good
as
a
brewer
,
and
there
are
many
attorneys
who
hold
their
heads
high
anywhere
.
Grindley
was
a
rich
man
,
—
or
at
any
rate
rich
enough
for
the
life
he
led
.
I
do
n't
know
much
about
his
birth
,
but
I
believe
it
was
as
good
as
Maxwell
's
.
He
was
not
ignorant
,
or
a
fool
;
—
whereas
I
rather
think
Maxwell
was
a
fool
.
Grindley
had
made
his
own
way
in
the
world
,
but
Maxwell
would
certainly
not
have
made
himself
a
banker
if
his
father
had
not
been
a
banker
before
him
;
nor
could
the
bank
have
gone
on
and
prospered
had
there
not
been
partners
there
who
were
better
men
of
business
than
our
friend
.
Grindley
knew
that
he
had
a
better
intellect
than
Maxwell
;
and
yet
he
allowed
Maxwell
to
snub
him
,
and
he
toadied
Maxwell
in
return
.
It
was
not
on
the
score
of
riding
that
Maxwell
claimed
and
held
his
superiority
,
for
Grindley
did
not
want
pluck
,
and
every
one
knew
that
Maxwell
had
lived
freely
and
that
his
nerves
were
not
what
they
had
been
.
I
think
it
had
come
from
the
outward
look
of
the
men
,
from
the
form
of
each
,
from
the
gait
and
visage
which
in
one
was
good
and
in
the
other
insignificant
.
The
nature
of
such
dominion
of
man
over
man
is
very
singular
,
but
this
is
certain
that
when
once
obtained
in
manhood
it
may
be
easily
held
.
Among
boys
at
school
the
same
thing
is
even
more
conspicuous
,
because
boys
have
less
of
conscience
than
men
,
are
more
addicted
to
tyranny
,
and
when
weak
are
less
prone
to
feel
the
misery
and
disgrace
of
succumbing
.
Who
has
been
through
a
large
school
and
does
not
remember
the
Maxwells
and
Grindleys
,
—
the
tyrants
and
the
slaves
,
—
those
who
domineered
and
those
who
submitted
?
Nor
was
it
,
even
then
,
personal
strength
,
nor
always
superior
courage
,
that
gave
the
power
of
command
.
Nor
was
it
intellect
,
or
thoughtfulness
,
nor
by
any
means
such
qualities
as
make
men
and
boys
lovable
.
It
is
said
by
many
who
have
had
to
deal
with
boys
,
that
certain
among
them
claim
and
obtain
ascendancy
by
the
spirit
within
them
;
but
I
doubt
whether
the
ascendancy
is
not
rather
thrust
on
them
than
claimed
by
them
.
Here
again
I
think
the
outward
gait
of
the
boy
goes
far
towards
obtaining
for
him
the
submission
of
his
fellows
.
But
the
tyrant
boy
does
not
become
the
tyrant
man
,
or
the
slave
boy
the
slave
man
,
because
the
outward
visage
,
that
has
been
noble
or
mean
in
the
one
,
changes
and
becomes
so
often
mean
or
noble
in
the
other
.
"
By
George
,
there
's
Pollock
!
"
said
Maxwell
,
as
he
rode
into
the
field
by
the
church
.
"
I
'll
bet
half
a
crown
that
he
's
come
down
from
London
this
morning
,
that
he
was
up
all
night
last
night
,
and
that
he
tells
us
so
three
times
before
the
hounds
go
out
of
the
paddock
.
"
Mr.
Pollock
was
the
heavy-weight
sporting
literary
gentleman
.
CHAPTER
XVII
.
Edgehill
.
Of
all
sights
in
the
world
there
is
,
I
think
,
none
more
beautiful
than
that
of
a
pack
of
fox-hounds
seated
,
on
a
winter
morning
,
round
the
huntsman
,
if
the
place
of
meeting
has
been
chosen
with
anything
of
artistic
skill
.
It
should
be
in
a
grassy
field
,
and
the
field
should
be
small
.
It
should
not
be
absolutely
away
from
all
buildings
,
and
the
hedgerows
should
not
have
been
clipped
and
pared
,
and
made
straight
with
reference
to
modern
agricultural
economy
.
There
should
be
trees
near
,
and
the
ground
should
be
a
little
uneven
,
so
as
to
mark
some
certain
small
space
as
the
exact
spot
where
the
dogs
and
servants
of
the
hunt
should
congregate
.
There
are
well-known
grand
meets
in
England
,
in
the
parks
of
noblemen
,
before
their
houses
,
or
even
on
what
are
called
their
lawns
;
but
these
magnificent
affairs
have
but
little
of
the
beauty
of
which
I
speak
.
Such
assemblies
are
too
grand
and
too
ornate
,
and
,
moreover
,
much
too
far
removed
from
true
sporting
proprieties
.
At
them
,
equipages
are
shining
,
and
ladies
'
dresses
are
gorgeous
,
and
crowds
of
tradesmen
from
the
neighbouring
town
have
come
there
to
look
at
the
grand
folk
.
To
my
eye
there
is
nothing
beautiful
in
that
.
The
meet
I
speak
of
is
arranged
with
a
view
to
sport
,
but
the
accident
of
the
locality
may
make
it
the
prettiest
thing
in
the
world
.
Such
,
in
a
special
degree
,
was
the
case
at
Edgehill
.
At
Edgehill
the
whole
village
consisted
of
three
or
four
cottages
;
but
there
was
a
small
old
church
,
with
an
old
grey
tower
,
and
a
narrow
,
green
,
almost
dark
,
churchyard
,
surrounded
by
elm-trees
.
The
road
from
Roebury
to
the
meet
passed
by
the
church
stile
,
and
turning
just
beyond
it
came
upon
the
gate
which
led
into
the
little
field
in
which
the
hounds
felt
themselves
as
much
at
home
as
in
their
kennels
.
There
might
be
six
or
seven
acres
in
the
field
,
which
was
long
and
narrow
,
so
that
the
huntsman
had
space
to
walk
leisurely
up
and
down
with
the
pack
clustering
round
him
,
when
he
considered
that
longer
sitting
might
chill
them
.
The
church
tower
was
close
at
hand
,
visible
through
the
trees
,
and
the
field
itself
was
green
and
soft
,
though
never
splashing
with
mud
or
heavy
with
holes
.
Edgehill
was
a
favourite
meet
in
that
country
,
partly
because
foxes
were
very
abundant
in
the
great
wood
adjacent
,
partly
because
the
whole
country
around
is
grass-land
,
and
partly
,
no
doubt
,
from
the
sporting
propensities
of
the
neighbouring
population
.
As
regards
my
own
taste
,
I
do
not
know
that
I
do
like
beginning
a
day
with
a
great
wood
,
—
and
if
not
beginning
it
,
certainly
not
ending
it
.
It
is
hard
to
come
upon
the
cream
of
hunting
,
as
it
is
upon
the
cream
of
any
other
delight
.
Who
can
always
drink
Lafitte
of
the
finest
,
can
always
talk
to
a
woman
who
is
both
beautiful
and
witty
,
or
can
always
find
the
right
spirit
in
the
poetry
he
reads
?
A
man
has
usually
to
work
through
much
mud
before
he
gets
his
nugget
.
It
is
so
certainly
in
hunting
,
and
a
big
wood
too
frequently
afflicts
the
sportsman
,
as
the
mud
does
the
miner
.
The
small
gorse
cover
is
the
happy
,
much-envied
bit
of
ground
in
which
the
gold
is
sure
to
show
itself
readily
.
But
without
the
woods
the
gorse
would
not
hold
the
foxes
,
and
without
the
mud
the
gold
would
not
have
found
its
resting-place
.
But
,
as
I
have
said
,
Edgehill
was
a
popular
meet
,
and
,
as
regarded
the
meet
itself
,
was
eminently
picturesque
.
On
the
present
occasion
the
little
field
was
full
of
horsemen
,
moving
about
slowly
,
chatting
together
,
smoking
cigars
,
getting
off
from
their
hacks
and
mounting
their
hunters
,
giving
orders
to
their
servants
,
and
preparing
for
the
day
.
There
were
old
country
gentlemen
there
,
greeting
each
other
from
far
sides
of
the
county
;
sporting
farmers
who
love
to
find
themselves
alongside
their
landlords
,
and
to
feel
that
the
pleasures
of
the
country
are
common
to
both
;
men
down
from
town
,
like
our
friends
of
the
Roebury
club
,
who
made
hunting
their
chosen
pleasure
,
and
who
formed
,
in
number
,
perhaps
the
largest
portion
of
the
field
;
officers
from
garrisons
round
about
;
a
cloud
of
servants
,
and
a
few
nondescript
stragglers
who
had
picked
up
horses
,
hither
and
thither
,
round
the
country
.
Outside
the
gate
on
the
road
were
drawn
up
a
variety
of
vehicles
,
open
carriages
,
dog-carts
,
gigs
,
and
waggonettes
,
in
some
few
of
which
were
seated
ladies
who
had
come
over
to
see
the
meet
.
But
Edgehill
was
,
essentially
,
not
a
ladies
'
meet
.
The
distances
to
it
were
long
,
and
the
rides
in
Cranby
Wood
—
the
big
wood
—
were
not
adapted
for
wheels
.
There
were
one
or
two
ladies
on
horseback
,
as
is
always
the
case
;
but
Edgehill
was
not
a
place
popular
,
even
with
hunting
ladies
.
One
carriage
,
that
of
the
old
master
of
the
hounds
,
had
entered
the
sacred
precincts
of
the
field
,
and
from
this
the
old
baronet
was
just
descending
,
as
Maxwell
,
Calder
Jones
,
and
Vavasor
rode
into
the
field
.
"
I
hope
I
see
you
well
,
Sir
William
,
"
said
Maxwell
,
greeting
the
master
.
Calder
Jones
also
made
his
little
speech
,
and
so
did
Vavasor
.
"
Humph
—
well
,
yes
,
I
'm
pretty
well
,
thank'ee
.
Just
move
on
,
will
you
?
My
mare
ca
n't
stir
here
.
"
Then
some
one
else
spoke
to
him
,
and
he
only
grunted
in
answer
.
Having
slowly
been
assisted
up
on
to
his
horse
,
—
for
he
was
over
seventy
years
of
age
,
—
he
trotted
off
to
the
hounds
,
while
all
the
farmers
round
him
touched
their
hats
to
him
.
But
his
mind
was
laden
with
affairs
of
import
,
and
he
noticed
no
one
.
In
a
whispered
voice
he
gave
his
instructions
to
his
huntsman
,
who
said
,
"
Yes
,
Sir
William
,
"
"
No
,
Sir
William
,
"
"
No
doubt
,
Sir
William
.
"
One
long-eared
,
long-legged
fellow
,
in
a
hunting-cap
and
scarlet
coat
,
hung
listening
by
,
anxious
to
catch
something
of
the
orders
for
the
morning
.
"
Who
the
devil
's
that
fellow
,
that
's
all
breeches
and
boots
?
"
said
Sir
William
aloud
to
some
one
near
him
,
as
the
huntsman
moved
off
with
the
hounds
.
Sir
William
knew
the
man
well
enough
,
but
was
minded
to
punish
him
for
his
discourtesy
.
"
Where
shall
we
find
first
,
Sir
William
?
"
said
Calder
Jones
,
in
a
voice
that
was
really
very
humble
.
"
How
the
mischief
am
I
to
know
where
the
foxes
are
?
"
said
Sir
William
,
with
an
oath
;
and
Calder
Jones
retired
unhappy
,
and
for
the
moment
altogether
silenced
.
And
yet
Sir
William
was
the
most
popular
man
in
the
county
,
and
no
more
courteous
gentleman
ever
sat
at
the
bottom
of
his
own
table
.
A
mild
man
he
was
,
too
,
when
out
of
his
saddle
,
and
one
by
no
means
disposed
to
assume
special
supremacy
.
But
a
master
of
hounds
,
if
he
have
long
held
the
country
,
—
and
Sir
William
had
held
his
for
more
than
thirty
years
,
—
obtains
a
power
which
that
of
no
other
potentate
can
equal
.
He
may
say
and
do
what
he
pleases
,
and
his
tyranny
is
always
respected
.
No
conspiracy
against
him
has
a
chance
of
success
;
no
sedition
will
meet
with
sympathy
;
—
that
is
,
if
he
be
successful
in
showing
sport
.
If
a
man
be
sworn
at
,
abused
,
and
put
down
without
cause
,
let
him
bear
it
and
think
that
he
has
been
a
victim
for
the
public
good
.
And
let
him
never
be
angry
with
the
master
.
That
rough
tongue
is
the
necessity
of
the
master
's
position
.
They
used
to
say
that
no
captain
could
manage
a
ship
without
swearing
at
his
men
.
But
what
are
the
captain
's
troubles
in
comparison
with
those
of
the
master
of
hounds
?
The
captain
's
men
are
under
discipline
,
and
can
be
locked
up
,
flogged
,
or
have
their
grog
stopped
.
The
master
of
hounds
cannot
stop
the
grog
of
any
offender
,
and
he
can
only
stop
the
tongue
,
or
horse
,
of
such
an
one
by
very
sharp
words
.
"
Well
,
Pollock
,
when
did
you
come
?
"
said
Maxwell
.
"
By
George
,
"
said
the
literary
gentleman
,
"
just
down
from
London
by
the
8.30
from
Euston
Square
,
and
got
over
here
from
Winslow
in
a
trap
,
with
two
fellows
I
never
saw
in
my
life
before
.
We
came
tandem
in
a
fly
,
and
did
the
nineteen
miles
in
an
hour
.
"
"
Come
,
Athenian
,
draw
it
mild
,
"
said
Maxwell
.
"
We
did
,
indeed
.
I
wonder
whether
they
'll
pay
me
their
share
of
the
fly
.
I
had
to
leave
Onslow
Crescent
at
a
quarter
before
eight
,
and
I
did
three
hours
'
work
before
I
started
.
"
"
Then
you
did
it
by
candle-light
,
"
said
Grindley
.
"
Of
course
I
did
;
and
why
should
n't
I
?
Do
you
suppose
no
one
can
work
by
candle-light
except
a
lawyer
?
I
suppose
you
fellows
were
playing
whist
,
and
drinking
hard
.
I
'm
uncommon
glad
I
was
n't
with
you
,
for
I
shall
be
able
to
ride
.
"
"
I
bet
you
a
pound
,
"
said
Jones
,
"
if
there
's
a
run
,
I
see
more
of
it
than
you
.
"
"
I
'll
take
that
bet
with
Jones
,
"
said
Grindley
,
"
and
Vavasor
shall
be
the
judge
.
"
"
Gentlemen
,
the
hounds
ca
n't
get
out
,
if
you
will
stop
up
the
gate
,
"
said
Sir
William
.
Then
the
pack
passed
through
,
and
they
all
trotted
on
for
four
miles
,
to
Cranby
Wood
.
Vavasor
,
as
he
rode
on
to
the
wood
,
was
alone
,
or
speaking
,
from
time
to
time
,
a
few
words
to
his
servant
.
"
I
'll
ride
the
chestnut
mare
in
the
wood
,
"
he
said
,
"
and
do
you
keep
near
me
.
"
"
I
bea
n't
to
be
galloping
up
and
down
them
rides
,
I
suppose
,
"
said
Bat
,
almost
contemptuously
.
"
I
sha
n't
gallop
up
and
down
the
rides
,
myself
;
but
do
you
mark
me
,
to
know
where
I
am
,
so
that
I
can
change
if
a
fox
should
go
away
.
"
"
You
'll
be
here
all
day
,
sir
.
That
's
my
belief
.
"
"
If
so
,
I
wo
n't
ride
the
brown
horse
at
all
.
But
do
you
take
care
to
let
me
have
him
if
there
's
a
chance
.
Do
you
understand
?
"
"
Oh
,
yes
,
I
understand
,
sir
.
There
ai
n't
no
difficulty
in
my
understanding
;
—
only
I
do
n't
think
,
sir
,
you
'll
ever
get
a
fox
out
of
that
wood
to-day
.
Why
,
it
stands
to
reason
.
The
wind
's
from
the
north-east
.
"
Cranby
Wood
is
very
large
,
—
there
being
,
in
truth
,
two
or
three
woods
together
.
It
was
nearly
twelve
before
they
found
;
and
then
for
an
hour
there
was
great
excitement
among
the
men
,
who
rode
up
and
down
the
rides
as
the
hounds
drove
the
fox
from
one
end
to
another
of
the
enclosure
.
Once
or
twice
the
poor
animal
did
try
to
go
away
,
and
then
there
was
great
hallooing
,
galloping
,
and
jumping
over
unnecessary
fences
;
but
he
was
headed
back
again
,
or
changed
his
mind
,
not
liking
the
north-east
wind
of
which
Bat
Smithers
had
predicted
such
bad
things
.
After
one
the
crowd
of
men
became
rather
more
indifferent
,
and
clustered
together
in
broad
spots
,
eating
their
lunch
,
smoking
cigars
,
and
chaffing
each
other
.
It
was
singular
to
observe
the
amazing
quantity
of
ham
sandwiches
and
of
sherry
that
had
been
carried
into
Cranby
Wood
on
that
day
.
Grooms
appeared
to
have
been
laden
with
cases
,
and
men
were
as
well
armed
with
flasks
at
their
saddle-bows
as
they
used
to
be
with
pistols
.
Maxwell
and
Pollock
formed
the
centre
of
one
of
these
crowds
,
and
chaffed
each
other
with
the
utmost
industry
,
till
,
tired
of
having
inflicted
no
wounds
,
they
turned
upon
Grindley
and
drove
him
out
of
the
circle
.
"
You
'll
make
that
man
cut
his
throat
,
if
you
go
on
at
that
,
"
said
Pollock
.
"
Shall
I
?
"
said
Maxwell
.
"
Then
I
'll
certainly
stick
to
him
for
the
sake
of
humanity
in
general
.
"
During
all
this
time
Vavasor
sat
apart
,
quite
alone
,
and
Bat
Smithers
grimly
kept
his
place
,
about
three
hundred
yards
from
him
.
"
We
sha
n't
do
any
good
to-day
,
"
said
Grindley
,
coming
up
to
Vavasor
.
"
I
'm
sure
I
do
n't
know
,
"
said
Vavasor
.
"
That
old
fellow
has
got
to
be
so
stupid
,
he
does
n't
know
what
he
's
about
,
"
said
Grindley
,
meaning
Sir
William
.
"
How
can
he
make
the
fox
break
?
"
said
Vavasor
;
and
as
his
voice
was
by
no
means
encouraging
Grindley
rode
away
.
Lunch
and
cigars
lasted
till
two
,
during
which
hour
the
hounds
,
the
huntsmen
,
the
whips
,
and
old
Sir
William
were
hard
at
work
,
as
also
were
some
few
others
who
persistently
followed
every
chance
of
the
game
.
From
that
till
three
there
were
two
or
three
flashes
in
the
pan
,
and
false
reports
as
to
foxes
which
had
gone
away
,
which
first
set
men
galloping
,
and
then
made
them
very
angry
.
After
three
,
men
began
to
say
naughty
things
,
to
abuse
Cranby
Wood
,
to
wish
violently
that
they
had
remained
at
home
or
gone
elsewhere
,
and
to
speak
irreverently
of
their
ancient
master
.
"
It
's
the
cussidest
place
in
all
creation
,
"
said
Maxwell
.
"
I
often
said
I
'd
not
come
here
any
more
,
and
now
I
say
it
again
.
"
"
And
yet
you
'll
be
here
the
next
meet
,
"
said
Grindley
,
who
had
sneaked
back
to
his
old
companions
in
weariness
of
spirit
.
"
Grindems
,
you
know
a
sight
too
much
,
"
said
Maxwell
;
"
you
do
indeed
.
An
ordinary
fellow
has
no
chance
with
you
.
"
Grindley
was
again
going
to
catch
it
,
but
was
on
this
time
saved
by
the
appearance
of
the
huntsman
,
who
came
galloping
up
one
of
the
rides
,
with
a
lot
of
the
hounds
at
his
heels
.
"
He
is
n't
away
,
Tom
,
surely
?
"
said
Maxwell
.
"
He
's
out
of
the
wood
somewheres
,
"
said
Tom
;
—
and
off
they
all
went
.
Vavasor
changed
his
horse
,
getting
on
to
the
brown
one
,
and
giving
up
his
chestnut
mare
to
Bat
Smithers
,
who
suggested
that
he
might
as
well
go
home
to
Roebury
now
.
Vavasor
gave
him
no
answer
,
but
,
trotting
on
to
the
point
where
the
rides
met
,
stopped
a
moment
and
listened
carefully
.
Then
he
took
a
path
diverging
away
from
that
by
which
the
huntsmen
and
the
crowd
of
horsemen
had
gone
,
and
made
the
best
of
his
way
through
the
wood
.
At
the
end
of
this
he
came
upon
Sir
William
,
who
,
with
no
one
near
him
but
his
servant
,
was
standing
in
the
pathway
of
a
little
hunting-gate
.
"
Hold
hard
,
"
said
Sir
William
.
"
The
hounds
are
not
out
of
the
wood
yet
.
"
"
Is
the
fox
away
,
sir
?
"
"
What
's
the
good
of
that
if
we
ca
n't
get
the
hounds
out
?
—
Yes
,
he
's
away
.
He
passed
out
where
I
'm
standing
.
"
And
then
he
began
to
blow
his
horn
lustily
,
and
by
degrees
other
men
and
a
few
hounds
came
down
the
ride
.
Then
Tom
,
with
his
horse
almost
blown
,
made
his
appearance
outside
the
wood
,
and
soon
there
came
a
rush
of
men
,
nearly
on
the
top
of
one
another
,
pushing
on
,
not
knowing
whither
,
but
keenly
alive
to
the
fact
that
the
fox
had
at
last
consented
to
move
his
quarters
.
Tom
touched
his
hat
,
and
looked
at
his
master
,
inquiringly
.
"
He
's
gone
for
Claydon
's
,
"
said
the
master
.
"
Try
them
up
that
hedgerow
.
"
Tom
did
try
them
up
the
hedgerow
,
and
in
half
a
minute
the
hounds
came
upon
the
scent
.
Then
you
might
see
men
settling
their
hats
on
their
heads
,
and
feeling
their
feet
in
the
stirrups
.
The
moment
for
which
they
had
so
long
waited
had
come
,
and
yet
there
were
many
who
would
now
have
preferred
that
the
fox
should
be
headed
back
into
cover
.
Some
had
but
little
confidence
in
their
half-blown
horses
;
—
with
many
the
waiting
,
though
so
abused
and
anathematized
,
was
in
truth
more
to
their
taste
than
the
run
itself
;
—
with
others
the
excitement
had
gone
by
,
and
a
gallop
over
a
field
or
two
was
necessary
before
it
would
be
restored
.
With
most
men
at
such
a
moment
there
is
a
little
nervousness
,
some
fear
of
making
a
bad
start
,
a
dread
lest
others
should
have
more
of
the
success
of
the
hunt
than
falls
to
them
.
But
there
was
a
great
rush
and
a
mighty
bustle
as
the
hounds
made
out
their
game
,
and
Sir
William
felt
himself
called
upon
to
use
the
rough
side
of
his
tongue
to
more
than
one
delinquent
.
And
then
certain
sly
old
stagers
might
be
seen
turning
off
to
the
left
,
instead
of
following
the
course
of
the
game
as
indicated
by
the
hounds
.
They
were
men
who
had
felt
the
air
as
they
came
out
,
and
knew
that
the
fox
must
soon
run
down
wind
,
whatever
he
might
do
for
the
first
half
mile
or
so
,
—
men
who
knew
also
which
was
the
shortest
way
to
Claydon
's
by
the
road
.
Ah
,
the
satisfaction
that
there
is
when
these
men
are
thrown
out
,
and
their
dead
knowledge
proved
to
be
of
no
avail
!
If
a
fox
will
only
run
straight
,
heading
from
the
cover
on
his
real
line
,
these
very
sagacious
gentlemen
seldom
come
to
much
honour
and
glory
.
In
the
present
instance
the
beast
seemed
determined
to
go
straight
enough
,
for
the
hounds
ran
the
scent
along
three
or
four
hedgerows
in
a
line
.
He
had
managed
to
get
for
himself
full
ten
minutes
'
start
,
and
had
been
able
to
leave
the
cover
and
all
his
enemies
well
behind
him
before
he
bethought
himself
as
to
his
best
way
to
his
purposed
destination
.
And
here
,
from
field
to
field
,
there
were
little
hunting-gates
at
which
men
crowded
lustily
,
poking
and
shoving
each
other
's
horses
,
and
hating
each
other
with
a
bitterness
of
hatred
which
is
,
I
think
,
known
nowhere
else
.
No
hunting
man
ever
wants
to
jump
if
he
can
help
it
,
and
the
hedges
near
the
gate
were
not
alluring
.
A
few
there
were
who
made
lines
for
themselves
,
taking
the
next
field
to
the
right
,
or
scrambling
through
the
corners
of
the
fences
while
the
rush
was
going
on
at
the
gates
;
and
among
these
was
George
Vavasor
.
He
never
rode
in
a
crowd
,
always
keeping
himself
somewhat
away
from
men
as
well
as
hounds
.
He
would
often
be
thrown
out
,
and
then
men
would
hear
no
more
of
him
for
that
day
.
On
such
occasions
he
did
not
show
himself
,
as
other
men
do
,
twenty
minutes
after
the
fox
had
been
killed
or
run
to
ground
,
—
but
betook
himself
home
by
himself
,
going
through
the
byeways
and
lanes
,
thus
leaving
no
report
of
his
failure
to
be
spoken
of
by
his
compeers
.
As
long
as
the
line
of
gates
lasted
,
the
crowd
continued
as
thick
as
ever
,
and
the
best
man
was
he
whose
horse
could
shove
the
hardest
.
After
passing
some
four
or
five
fields
in
this
way
they
came
out
upon
a
road
,
and
,
the
scent
holding
strong
,
the
dogs
crossed
it
without
any
demurring
.
Then
came
doubt
into
the
minds
of
men
,
many
of
whom
,
before
they
would
venture
away
from
their
position
on
the
lane
,
narrowly
watched
the
leading
hounds
to
see
whether
there
was
indication
of
a
turn
to
the
one
side
or
the
other
.
Sir
William
,
whose
seventy
odd
years
excused
him
,
turned
sharp
to
the
left
,
knowing
that
he
could
make
Claydon
's
that
way
;
and
very
many
were
the
submissive
horsemen
who
followed
him
;
a
few
took
the
road
to
the
right
,
having
in
their
minds
some
little
game
of
their
own
.
The
hardest
riders
there
had
already
crossed
from
the
road
into
the
country
,
and
were
going
well
to
the
hounds
,
ignorant
,
some
of
them
,
of
the
brook
before
them
,
and
others
unheeding
.
Foremost
among
these
was
Burgo
Fitzgerald
,
—
Burgo
Fitzgerald
,
whom
no
man
had
ever
known
to
crane
at
a
fence
,
or
to
hug
a
road
,
or
to
spare
his
own
neck
or
his
horse
's
.
And
yet
poor
Burgo
seldom
finished
well
,
—
coming
to
repeated
grief
in
this
matter
of
his
hunting
,
as
he
did
so
constantly
in
other
matters
of
his
life
.
But
almost
neck
and
neck
with
Burgo
was
Pollock
,
the
sporting
literary
gentleman
.
Pollock
had
but
two
horses
to
his
stud
,
and
was
never
known
to
give
much
money
for
them
;
—
and
he
weighed
without
his
boots
,
fifteen
stones
!
No
one
ever
knew
how
Pollock
did
it
;
—
more
especially
as
all
the
world
declared
that
he
was
as
ignorant
of
hunting
as
any
tailor
.
He
could
ride
,
or
when
he
could
n't
ride
he
could
tumble
,
—
men
said
that
of
him
,
—
and
he
would
ride
as
long
as
the
beast
under
him
could
go
.
But
few
knew
the
sad
misfortunes
which
poor
Pollock
sometimes
encountered
;
—
the
muddy
ditches
in
which
he
was
left
;
the
despair
with
which
he
would
stand
by
his
unfortunate
horse
when
the
poor
brute
could
no
longer
move
across
some
deep-ploughed
field
;
the
miles
that
he
would
walk
at
night
beside
a
tired
animal
,
as
he
made
his
way
slowly
back
to
Roebury
!
Then
came
Tom
the
huntsman
,
with
Calder
Jones
close
to
him
,
and
Grindley
intent
on
winning
his
sovereign
.
Vavasor
had
also
crossed
the
road
somewhat
to
the
left
,
carrying
with
him
one
or
two
who
knew
that
he
was
a
safe
man
to
follow
.
Maxwell
had
been
ignominiously
turned
by
the
hedge
,
which
,
together
with
its
ditch
,
formed
a
fence
such
as
all
men
do
not
love
at
the
beginning
of
a
run
.
He
had
turned
from
it
,
acknowledging
the
cause
.
"
By
George
!
"
said
he
,
"
that
's
too
big
for
me
yet
awhile
;
and
there
's
no
end
of
a
river
at
the
bottom
.
"
So
he
had
followed
the
master
down
the
road
.
All
those
whom
we
have
named
managed
to
get
over
the
brook
,
Pollock
's
horse
barely
contriving
to
get
up
his
hind
legs
from
the
broken
edge
of
the
bank
.
Some
nags
refused
it
,
and
their
riders
thus
lost
all
their
chance
of
sport
for
that
day
.
Such
is
the
lot
of
men
who
hunt
.
A
man
pays
five
or
six
pounds
for
his
day
's
amusement
