tionately grateful to a hostess who does not call upon them to
undergo any further exercise than what they have already gone through
for their own pleasure.

In most country-house parties bridge forms the chief if not the only
amusement, and is played not only after dinner but in the afternoon
also. Amateur theatricals and _tableaux vivants_, impromptu charades,
thought reading, conjuring, etc., are fashionable amusements and easy of
accomplishment: the first-named of these demands considerable study and
plenty of time for rehearsal, therefore theatricals are generally
engaged in when the party is composed of relatives rather than of
acquaintances, and when the visit would be perhaps prolonged to ten days
or a fortnight.

Some hostesses prefer keeping late hours to early hours, and do not
retire until after twelve; this does not commend itself to the
gentlemen, as they are not supposed to adjourn to the smoking-room until
the ladies have left the drawing-room, and gentlemen like to spend a
couple of hours in the smoking-room after dinner.

* * * * *

=In hunting counties= the breakfast is usually an early one, varying
from nine o'clock to half-past nine, according to whether the ride to
covert is likely to be a long or a short one; but, as a rule, the
nominal breakfast hour is 9.30 o'clock. A certain amount of latitude is
allowed to guests as regards coming down to breakfast; they do not
assemble in the morning-room, but all make their way to the
breakfast-room, and seat themselves at once at table, while many ladies
breakfast in their own rooms.

* * * * *

=In Scotland, an invitation to shoot= often means a visit of three
weeks. The accommodation of the shooting-box or lodge may be limited or
primitive, and it is very often both of these; but it matters very
little to the sportsman what sort of bed he sleeps on, or how he is made
to rough it, providing the grouse are plentiful. On some of the moors
there are but cottages and farmhouses for the occupation of the
sportsmen, but on others the houses are excellent, and let with the
moors, as many take a moor season after season and invite their friends
to shoot between the 12th of August and October. The grand shooting
parties that are annually given in Scotland by owners of large estates
and fine shootings extends throughout the whole of the shooting season,
and guests come and go without intermission;