he had not personally inquired
after the well-being of each nursery in the woods as had been his
wont. Ralph, indeed, had been on the alert, and the keepers had not
become slack;--but there had been a whisper about the place that the
master didn't care so much about the foxes as he used to do. They
soon found out that he cared enough now. The head-keeper opened his
eyes very wide when he was told that the Squire would take it as a
personal offence if the coverts were ever drawn blank. It was to be
understood through the county that at Newton Priory everything now
was happy and prosperous. "We'll get up a breakfast and a meet on
the lawn before the end of the month," said the Squire to his son.
"I hate hunt breakfasts myself, but the farmers like them." From all
which the reader will perceive that the Squire was in earnest.

Ralph hunted all through the latter days of October, but the Squire
himself would not go out till the first regular day of the season.
"I like a law, and I like to stick to it," he said. "Five months
is enough for the horses in all conscience." At last the happy day
arrived,--Wednesday, the 2nd of November,--and the father and son
started together for the meet in a dog-cart on four wheels with
two horses. On such occasions the Squire always drove himself, and
professed to go no more than eight miles an hour. The meet was over
in the Berkshire county in the neighbourhood of Swallowfield, about
twelve miles distant, and the Squire was in his seat precisely at
half-past nine. Four horses had gone on in the charge of two grooms,
for the Squire had insisted on Ralph riding with a second horse. "If
you don't, I won't," he had said; and Ralph of course had yielded.
Just at this time there had grown up in the young man's mind a
feeling that his father was almost excessive in the exuberance of his
joy,--that he was displaying too ostensibly to the world at large
the triumph which he had effected. But the checking of this elation
was almost impossible to the son on whose behalf it was exhibited.
Therefore, to Ralph's own regret, the two horses had on this morning
been sent on to Barford Heath. The Squire was not kept waiting a
moment. Ralph lit his cigar and jumped in, and the Squire started in
all comfort and joy. The road led them by Darvell's farm, and for a
moment the carriage was stopped that a word might be spoken to some
workman. "You'd better have a couple more men, Miles. It won't do to
let the frost