Under these circumstances our friend the
hunting parson usually rides as though he were more or less under
a cloud. The cloud is not to be seen in a melancholy brow or a
shamed demeanour; for the hunting parson will have lived down
those feelings, and is generally too forcible a man to allow
himself to be subjected to such annoyances; nor is the cloud to
be found in any gentle tardiness of his motions, or an attempt at
suppressed riding; for the hunting parson generally rides hard.
Unless he loved hunting much he would not be there. But the cloud
is to be perceived and heard in the manner in which he speaks of
himself and his own doings. He is never natural in his self-talk
as is any other man. He either flies at his own cloth at once,
marring some false apology for his presence, telling you that he
is there just to see the hounds, and hinting to you his own know
ledge that he has no business to ride after them; or else he
drops his profession altogether, and speaks to you in a tone
which makes you feel that you would not dare to speak to him
about his parish. You can talk to the banker about his banking,
the brewer about his brewing, the farmer about his barley, or the
landlord about his land; but to a hunting parson of this latter
class, you may not say a word about his church.
Pages:
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69