ith a message from another county. "Well, Jerry,"
said the master on his return, "what did you think of Woodstock?"
"Shure, your honor," was the reply, "I niver seed such a power of
girls a-swaping up the leaves."

Country-house life in Ireland and Scotland is almost identical with
that in England, except that, in the former especially, there is
generally less money. Scotland has of late years become so much the
fashion, land has risen so enormously in value, and properties are
so very large, that some of the establishments, such as those at
Drumlanrig, Dunrobin, Gordon Castle and Floors, the seats respectively
of the dukes of Buccleuch, Sutherland, Richmond and Roxburghe, are on
a princely scale. The number of wealthy squires is far fewer than
in England. It is a curious feature in the Scottish character that
notwithstanding the radical politics of the country--for scarcely
a Conservative is returned by it--the people cling fondly to
primogeniture and their great lords, who, probably to a far greater
extent than in England, hold the soil. The duke of Sutherland
possesses nearly the whole of the county from which he derives his
title, whilst the duke of Buccleuch owns the greater part of four.

Horses are such a very expensive item that a large stable is seldom
found unless there is a very large income, for otherwise the rest
of the establishment must be cut down to a low figure. Hunting
millionaires keep from ten to twenty, or even thirty, hacks and
hunters, besides four or five carriage-horses. Three or four
riding-horses, three carriage-horses and a pony or two is about the
usual number in the stable of a country gentleman with from five to
six thousand pounds a year. The stable-staff would be coachman, groom
and two helpers. The number of servants in country-houses varies from
seven or eight to eighty, but probably there are not ten houses in the
country where it reaches so high a figure as the last: from fifteen to
twenty would be a common number.

There are many popular bachelors and old maids who live about half the
year in the country-houses of their friends. A gentleman of this sort
will have his chambers in London and his valet, whilst the lady will
have her lodgings and maid. In London they will live cheaply and
comfortably, he at his club and dining out with rich friends, she in
her snug little room and passing half her time in friends' houses.
There is not the slightest surrender of independence about th