as off his
horse, rushing into the house and ordering everyone about it to come
forth with bread and cheese and sherry and beer. In spite of what he
had said of his ruin it was known that Larry Twentyman was a warm
man, and that no man in Rufford gave what he had to give with a
fuller heart. His house was in the middle of the Rufford and Ufford
hunting country, and the consumption there during the hunting
months of bread and cheese, sherry and beer, must have been immense.
Everyone seemed to be intimate with him, and all called for what they
wanted as if they were on their own premises. On such occasions as
these Larry was a proud man; for no one in those parts carried a
lighter heart or was more fond of popularity.

The parlour inside was by no means big enough to hold the crowding
guests, who therefore munched their bread and cheese and drank their
beer round the front door, without dismounting from their horses; but
Nina and Ayala with their friend the Colonel were taken inside to see
Mrs. Twentyman and her baby. "Now, Larry, what sort of a run was it?"
said the young mother. "Where did you find him, and what line did he
take?"

"I'll tell you all about it when I come back; there are two young
ladies for you now to look after." Then he introduced his wife, and
the baby which was in her arms. "The little fellow is only six weeks
old, and yet she wanted to come to the meet. She'd have been riding
to hounds if I'd let her."

"Why not?" said Mrs. Twentyman. "At any rate I might have gone in the
pony carriage and had baby with me."

"Only six weeks old!" said Nina, stooping down and kissing the child.

"He is a darling!" said Ayala. "I hope he'll go out hunting some
day."

"He'll want to go six times a week if he's anything like his father,"
said Mrs. Twentyman.

"And seven times if he's like his mother," said Larry. Then again
they mounted their nags, and trotted off across the high roads to the
Bragton coverts. Mrs. Twentyman with her baby in her arms walked down
to the gate at the high road and watched them with longing eyes, till
Tony and the hounds were out of sight.

Nothing further in the way of hunting was done that day which
requires to be recorded. They drew various coverts and found a fox or
two, but the scent, which had been so strong in the morning, seemed
to have gone, and the glory of the day was over. The two girls and
the Colonel remained companions during the afternoon, and succeeded
in makin