He regarded it
as a great duty to keep his body in the firmest possible
condition. All his eating and all his drinking was done upon a
system, and he would consider himself to be guilty of weak self-
indulgence were he to allow himself to break through sanitary
rules. But it never occurred to him that his whole life was one of
self-indulgence. He could walk his thirty miles with his gun on
his shoulder as well now as he could ten years ago; and being sure
of this, was thoroughly contented with himself. He had a patrimony
amounting to perhaps 1000 pounds a year, which he husbanded so as
to enjoy all his amusements to perfection. No one had ever heard
of his sponging on his friends. Of money he rarely spoke, sport
being in his estimation the only subject worthy of a man's words.
Such was Reginald Dobbes, who was now to be the master of the
shooting at Crummie-Toddie.
Crummie-Toddie was but twelve miles from Killancodlem, Mrs
Montacute Jones's highland seat; and it was this vicinity which
first induced Lord Silverbridge to join the party.
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