Part 57

On the first night of our acquaintance with the restless Roger, he is just off to dine at a restaurant, when his wife presents to him a girl whom she suggests she shall retain in their household as companion for them both, to lend a fragrance of youth to their dull, middle-aged menage. Mauricette is a beautiful child, eighteen years of age, and so soon as Dautran has seen her he elects to dine at home that very evening, and for the next six weeks it would be good betting that he never dined out.

After six weeks we find the party very much united at Dautran’s country house; to the delight of his wife, the senator has become quite redomesticated, but the pity of it is that this has only come about at the expense of the heart of poor Mauricette, who has fallen in love with her elderly admirer, who in his turn can think of nothing but her and himself.

The second act is full of good things; a doctor, the type of youth in the district, and a _protégé_ of Dautran, thinks it would be a very good thing for Mauricette and himself if they married, and tells the girl so with the full approbation of Mme. Dautran, who by this time is getting a little tired and doubtful of her scheme for the re-domestication of her husband. Mauricette has no room in her heart for the doctor, and asks for time to consider his offer, but closely following upon this she is exposed to an offer of a less honourable nature from a visitor to the house, and in less time than it takes to tell there is a terrible storm raging in the drawing-room, and Dautran is inadvertently but obviously proclaiming his love for the girl. Mauricette, to put matters right, agrees to marry the doctor, and forthwith leaves the house, to the grievous distress of Dautran.

In the last act we find, six months later, Mauricette married to the doctor and the best of friends, but Roger still holds her heart. He is bent upon again seeing her, and so an interview is granted by permission of the doctor.

At first Mauricette talks affectionately to Roger without looking at him, until in a very dramatic moment she looks up, sees his grey hair and careworn face, and recoils from the man who had taught her to love him. And so youth mates with youth, and the doctor is made happy.

Miss Dorothea Baird is a charming Mauricette, and deserves the highest praise for her performance. Since her great success as “Trilby,” she has not, in our opinion, had such a good part, and she certainly makes the most of it. Mr. H. B. Irving gives us an extremely clever study of Roger Dautran, especially in the last act, where the senator is made to realise that he is beaten by the clock.

Mr. Leslie Faber has an unsympathetic task in playing the doctor, who is the representative of youth, but he succeeds in his difficult task. Miss Marion Terry supplies a large share of the success of the evening, her study of the loving wife, who, in her anxiety to please her husband, introduces a very pronounced element of discord into the home, being extremely clever.

“Mauricette” is altogether charming.

GOLF.

The annual match between the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge was played this year at Hoylake, this being the first time a northern green was chosen for the contest. In accordance with custom the match was decided by holes, and Cambridge won by no less than 30 holes against 7. Oxford only won a single match, and halved another. Her captain, Mr. G. E. Grundy, played Mr. A. G. Barry, the amateur champion, and, after playing two rounds of the course, they had a tie. Mr. Barry’s brother played a good match with Mr. R. H. Hill, whom he defeated by two holes.

The Mid-Surrey Club won the first foursome tournament for London clubs. Its representatives were Mr. S. H. Fry and J. H. Taylor, who, in the final tie, beat, by 9 up and 8 to play, Mr. W. Herbert Fowler and James Braid, of the Walton Heath Club. The latter couple showed poor form, much to the disappointment of their friends.

The Inter-county Tournament, arranged by the Cricketers’ Golfing Society, was won by Yorkshire, which in the final round, played at Walton Heath, defeated Sussex by 3 points to nothing. The winning county was represented by Mr. Ernest Smith, the Hon. F. S. Jackson, and Mr. T. L. Taylor; and Sussex by Mr. G. Brann, Mr. W. H. Dudney, and Mr. C. A. Smith. Each of the former trio won his match. This was the first Inter-county Tournament, and it was considered necessary to play it under handicap, but it is to be hoped that on a future occasion it may be possible to put the competitors on their merits.

Muirfield witnessed some good play at the spring meeting of the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers. Mr. Charles L. Dalziel carried off the club medal with a score of 80, while Mr. John E. Laidlay, tied for second place with Mr. A. W. Robertson-Durham with 83. Mr. Laidlay won when the tie was played off. Mr. Leslie M. Balfour-Melville, another ex-amateur champion, took 89 for his round. The course is reported in splendid condition for the Open Championship in June.

Last year eight of the Edinburgh clubs possessing private greens inaugurated a foursome tournament, and this year they repeated it. On this occasion play took place on the links, at Duddingstone, of the Insurance and Banking Club. The local club was the fancied winner, but in the final round it was defeated by the Murrayfield Club, which, with four strong representatives, won by a single hole.

Newcastle in County Down saw the first of the championship meetings of the year. There the ladies of Ireland held their annual meeting, and they showed their interest in it by turning out in very large numbers. For the second year in succession Miss May Hezlet and her sister, Miss Florence Hezlet, competed in the final round, and again the former won by 2 up and 1 to play. Miss May Hezlet has now won this championship on four occasions, and the Ladies’ Open Championship twice.

Sporting Intelligence. [During March-April, 1906.]

Following an operation for appendicitis, Colonel Stanley Arnold, of Barton House, Moreton-in-Marsh, died on March 14th. A prominent member of the Warwickshire Hunt Club and of the Heythrop Hunt, the deceased was a good preserver of foxes.

At the meet of the Quorn at Frisby-on-the-Wreake, on March 16th, the Duchess of Sutherland met with a mishap. As hounds were moving off to draw, her horse slipped up, and the Duchess was thrown into the midst of a crowd of horses, carriages, and motor cars. Her Grace sustained some injury to one leg, and had to be conveyed to her hunting quarters at Pickwell Manor.

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At the age of 74 years, Mr. Hopton Addams Williams succumbed to an attack of pneumonia and pleurisy, on March 25th, at his residence, Penarth, Llangibby. The deceased, who joined the late Mr. John Lawrence in the mastership of the Llangibby in 1897, had since the decease of Lawrence continued in office. He was always fond of outdoor sports, and it is said he had not missed the New Year’s Day meet of the hounds for close on sixty years. According to _Baily’s Hunting Directory_, we find the family had been closely connected with the Llangibby for many years, Mr. W. Addams Williams being the first Master, 1790–1814, while other members held office until 1856, when Mr. John Lawrence took over office.

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On March 29th the Rev. Sir William Hyde-Parker was presented with a handsome silver centrepiece and a silver hunting horn in recognition of his services for four seasons as Master of the Newmarket and Thurlow Foxhounds, which he is giving up. The presentation took place at Brinkley Hall, at the closing meet of the season, in the presence of a large number of hunting people belonging to Cambridgeshire, Essex, and Suffolk.

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While out hunting with the Cheshire Foxhounds, on March 29th, the Marquis of Linlithgow met with a serious accident, sustaining fracture of several ribs, injury of the lung, and dislocation of the collar-bone. His lordship was removed to his hunting quarters at Higginsfield, Cholmondeley, and makes satisfactory progress.

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The Grand National course of four miles and 856 yards was covered on March 30th by Ascetic’s Silver in 9 min. 34⅖ sec., the previous best being 9 min. 42⅖ sec. by Cloister, also a son of Ascetic.

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Writing to the _Field_ of March 31st, Mr. W. B. Thornhill, Castle Cosey, Castle Billingham, gives the following account of the remarkable capture of a salmon: “The following may be of interest to your readers, and I shall be glad to hear if such a thing has ever occurred before to your knowledge. On Wednesday, March 21st, I was with a certain noble lord trying for a salmon in this neighbourhood; he only had a trout-line with him, and put up a single gut trace and a blue phantom; he got into a fish, but his trout-line broke, and the fish got away with phantom, trace, and a small piece of line. I was fishing the same water on Monday, 26th, with a single hook and worm for a salmon. I got what felt like a nibble and then a run. I raised my point slowly, as I did not wish to break in a stone, when to my surprise my hook came out of the water with a bit of gut attached. At first I thought, of course, of the lost fish, and supposed that the gut would slip off my hook when it became tight, but it did not. My hook had got into the loop of the broken trace, two feet behind the fish. I saw the position then, and played and landed the fish, which scaled 15 lb. As this seems such a tall story, I may add that I can produce half a dozen eye-witnesses to the fact if necessary, and vouch for it myself.”

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In the following issue of the same paper Mr. Caryl Ramsden, writing from White’s, relates another strange experience. “It is with no desire to ‘cap’ your correspondent’s story that I relate the following true story, which can be vouched for by a salmon-fisher of much experience. On a well-known beat on a Welsh river a salmon was hooked on a prawn. The angler had a long line out, and the line broke. Standing at the time far back on a long slab of rock, the angler had time to seize the broken piece, and after hand-lining the fish, joined it again to the line on the rod. Again he broke the line, and the fish was apparently gone for ever with prawn, hooks, wire trace, and line. While he had luncheon he told his gillie to try down again with a prawn, and although it may seem incredible, the barb of one of the gillie’s hooks fastened itself in the small eye of one of the swivels of the trace which was still fixed in the lost fish. The gillie played and landed the lost salmon, and then this remarkable discovery was made. Compare the size of the eye of a swivel and the loop of a gut cast, and the deduction as to which is the greater chance is clear.”

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There was a large attendance of polo men at Albert Gate on April 2nd, when Messrs. Tattersall sold the polo pony stud of Messrs. E. D. and G. A. Miller. Twenty-nine lots were catalogued, and sold without reserve, yielding an average of 137 gs., the total being 3,992 gs. Heartsease made top price, 380 gs. Others: Mavourneen, b., 200 gs.; Sobriety, b., 240gs.; Dolly Grey, gr., 210 gs.; Quickstep, ch., 130 gs.; Free Trader, b., 135 gs.; Miss Gordon, ch., 110 gs.; Tintack, bk., 135 gs.; Wallflower, br., 200 gs.: The Cub, br., 200 gs.; Miss Doris, b., 105gs.; Number Four, ch., 91 gs.; Lady Dorothy, br., 115 gs.; Sylvia, gr., 160 gs.; Country Girl, br., 80 gs.; Winsome, b., 150 gs.; Rose, b., 150 gs.; Miss Robinson, br., 110 gs.; Melayer, ch., 125 gs.; Blair, br., 86 gs.; Socialist, br., 150 gs.; Radical, br., 120 gs.; Ladysmith, ch., 100 gs.; Butterfly, b., 54 gs.; Rake, b., 76 gs.; Swift, br., 145 gs.; Life Buoy, ch., 81 gs.; Pretty Boy, br., 54 gs.; Pretty Girl, ch., 160 gs.

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The members and supporters of the Taunton Vale Fox Hunt and the Taunton Vale Harriers, at a dinner held at Taunton on April 2nd, presented Sam Brice, the retiring huntsman of the Harriers, with an illuminated address and a cheque for £150. Brice has for some time past been the oldest active harrier huntsman in England, and has held his position with the Taunton Vale pack for thirty-two years.

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As the result of injuries received when riding Seymour in the Lydd Steeplechase at the Folkestone Meeting, on April 9th, Richard Woodland died at the local infirmary on the following Saturday.

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Mr. James S. Darrell, of West Ayton, Scarborough, died at his residence on April 10th, aged 75 years. Mr. Darrell was a prominent Yorkshire sportsman, a well-known breeder, exhibitor, and judge of hunters.

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The executors of the late Sir James Miller have sold the famous horse Rock Sand to Mr. A. Belmont, U.S.A., for £25,000. The son of Sainfoin and Roquebrune, Rock Sand was bred by his late owner and foaled April 17th, 1900. He won the Derby, Two Thousand Guineas, and the St. Leger in 1903, and the Jockey Club Stakes in 1904. Of the twenty races he started for he won sixteen, the value of the stakes being £45,618.

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Mr. Henry Lockwood, Master of the Colne Valley Harriers, has received a presentation from the followers of his pack on the Saddleworth side. This took the form of a silver cup, bearing the following inscription:—“Colne Valley Harriers. Presented to H. Lockwood, Esq., Master of the Hunt, by Lancashire friends.”

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It is stated in the _Field_ that last year, on Archduke Frederic’s Belize estates, the following were killed: 32,895 hares, 16,502 partridges, 12,611 rabbits, 10,367 pheasants, 7,112 crows and magpies, 4,137 dogs and cats, 4,048 squirrels and hedgehogs, 2,104 hawks and falcons, 1,959 duck, 1,725 weasels, 944 polecats, 696 hinds and young deer, 672 roebuck and 397 does, 478 snipe, 410 woodcock, 404 quail, 378 foxes, 264 stags, 126 herons, 85 martins, 84 wood pigeons, 74 wild boars, 57 hazel hen, 47 kites, 46 bustards, 43 capercailzie, 34 waterhens, 28 badgers, 17 otters, 13 eagles, 12 wild geese, 7 wild cats, 4 owls, 3 cormorants, 1 black game, 1 eagle owl, and 2,152 various. Grand total, 99,537 head.

TURF.

KEMPTON PARK.

March 16th.—The Rendlesham Hurdle Handicap of 212 sovs.; two miles. Major Joicey’s ch. h. Plum Pecker, by Persimmon—Ornis, 6 yrs., 10st. 4lb. E. Driscoll 1 Mr. F. Phillips’ ch. h. The Choir, 6 yrs., 11st. 4lb. E. Morgan 2 Mr. W. J. Crooks’ b. g. Henley, 5 yrs., 11st. 5lb. L. Sherwood 3 5 to 1 agst. Plum Pecker.

March 17th.—The Spring Handicap Steeplechase Plate of 250 sovs.; two miles and a half. Mr. Cotton’s ch. g. Phil May, by Milner—Sister May, aged, 11st. 10lb. J. Owens 1 Mr. B. W. Parr’s ch. m. Aunt May, aged, 12st. 7lb. Mr. Persse 2 Mr. P. Danby’s b. m. Miss Tessie, 6 yrs., 10st. 4lb. G. Clancy 3 9 to 2 agst. Phil May.

HOOTON PARK.

March 16th.—The Great Cheshire Steeplechase of 825 sovs.; two miles and a half. Mr. W. M. G. Singer’s b. g. Bellivor Tor, by Wolfs Crag—Belle Haine, aged, 10st. 10lb. D. Morris 1 Mr. T. Ashton’s b. g. Seisdon Prince, aged, 10st. 10lb. J. O’Brien 2 Sir Peter Walker’s ch. g. Flutterer, aged, 10st. 10lb. E. Sullivan 3 10 to 1 agst. Bellivor Tor.

March 17th.—The Hooton Park Hurdle Race of 1,000 sovs.; two miles and a quarter. Mr. Thompson’s ch. h. Leviathan, by Isinglass—Galiana, aged, 10st. 10lb. G. Wilson 1 Mr. J. Buchanan’s ch. h. Vril, 5 yrs., 10st. 8lb. J. O’Brien 2 Capt. F. Bald’s b. g. Rosebury, 5 yrs., 10st. 8lb. F. Mason 3 5 to 2 agst. Leviathan.

LINCOLN SPRING MEETING.

March 26th.—The Batthany Plate (Handicap) of 500 sovs.; five furlongs, straight. Mr. Ned Clark’s b. g. Rising Falcon, by St. Issey—Magpie, 6 yrs., 9st. 9lb. O. Madden 1 Mr. Arthur James ch. c. Golden Gleam, 4 yrs., 7st. 7lb. R. Jones 2 Mr. A. H. Ruston’s b. g. Early Bird, 6 yrs., 7st. 2lb. E. Charters 3 5 to 1 agst. Rising Falcon.

The Chaplin Stakes of 300 sovs.; one mile and a quarter. Mr. A. Stedall’s b. f. Olitzka, by Ocean Wave—L’Excepcion, 8st. 2lb. O. Madden 1 Mr. L. de Rothschild’s b. c. St. Amadour, 8st. 5lb. K. Cannon 2 Mr. R. Dalgleish’s b. c. Buckminster, 9st. W. Griggs 3 8 to 1 agst. Olitzka.

March 27th.—The Lincolnshire Handicap of 1,000 sovs., added to a sweepstakes of 15 sovs. each; the Straight Mile. M. Ephrussi’s b. c. Ob, by Bocage—Glave, 5 yrs., 8st. G. Bellhouse 1 Mr. J. B. Joel’s ch. g. Dean Swift, 5 yrs., 7st. 11lb. H. Randall 2 Mr. L. Robinson’s b. c. Roseate Dawn, 5 yrs., 8st. 5lb. W. Halsey 3 20 to 1 agst. Ob.

The Hainton Plate (Handicap) of 400 sovs.; one mile and a half. Mr. S. Loates’ b. c. Mr. Whistler, by Velasquez—Chantres, 4 yrs., 6st. C. Heckford 1 Mr. J. F. Appleyard’s ch. c. Given Up, 5 yrs., 7st. A. Templeman 2 Mr. L. Robinson’s b. f. Laveuse, 5 yrs., 7st. 2lb. W. Saxby 3 8 to 1 agst. Mr. Whistler.

March 28th.—The Brocklesby Stakes of 200 sovs., added to a sweepstakes of 10 sovs. each, for two-year-olds; four furlongs and fifty yards, straight. Mr. G. M. Inglis’ b. f. Luisis, by Orvieto—Philopena, 8st. 7lb. B. Dillon 1 Mr. J. B. Joel’s bay colt by Galashiels—Brenda, 8st. 10lb. H. Randall 2 Mr. Arthur James’ bay or brown filly by St. Simon—Satirical, 8st. 7lb. H. Jones 3 20 to 1 agst. Luisis.

The Doddington Plate (a welter handicap) of 250 sovs.; one mile and a quarter. Mr. N. H. Scott’s b. c. Brettanby, by St. Simonmimi—Assiduity, 5 yrs., 8st. 6lb. J. Murray 1 Mr. C. Mynors’ b. c. Alresford, 5 yrs., 7st. 9lb. (car. 7st. 10lb.) H. Randall 2 Mr. G. H. Freeman’s b. h. Santa Claus, 5 yrs., 7st. 8lb. J. W. East 3 100 to 8 agst. Brettanby.

The Kesteven Plate of 200 sovs.; one mile and three furlongs. Mr. L. de Rothschild’s b. f. Quinade, by St. Frusquin—Blade, 3 yrs., 6st. 3lb. T. Jennings 1 Mr. B. Kilmer’s ch. c. Devereux, 4 yrs, 9st. 2lb. E. Wheatley 2 Mr. W. H. Schwind’s b. c. Fraxinus, 4 yrs., 9st. 2lb. W. Higgs 3 100 to 8 agst. Quinade.

LIVERPOOL SPRING MEETING.

March 29th.—The Liverpool Spring Cup of 1,000 sovs.; Cup Course (one mile and three furlongs). Mr. P. Cullinan’s b. c. Flax Park, by Bushey Park—Flax, 4 yrs., 7st. 4lb. F. Hunter 1 Sir J. Thursby’s ch. c. Standen, 4 yrs., 7st. 7lb. J. H. Martin 2 Mr. L. Robinson’s ch. c. Glenamoy, 5yrs., 8st. 3lb. W. Halsey 3 100 to 8 agst. Flax Park.

The Molyneux Stakes of 10 sovs. each, with 200 sovs. added, for two-year-olds. Mr. J. Wallace’s b. c. Gnome, by Isinglass—Queen Fairy, 8st. 7lb. J. Jarvis 1 Mr. J. B. Joel’s br. c. Diary, 8st. 7lb. H. Randall 2 Lord Derby’s bay filly by Melange—Jolly Jenny, 8st. 4lb. O. Madden 3 6 to 5 on Gnome.

The West Derby Stakes of 200 sovs., for three-year-olds; seven furlongs. Capt. J. G. R. Homfray’s b. or br. c. Land League, by Desmond—Combine, 9st. W. Higgs 1 Mr. L. de Rothschild’s b. c. Guise, 8st. 7lb. K. Cannon 2 Sir E. Cassel’s br. g. Goldrock, 9st. W. Halsey 3 5 to 4 agst. Land League.

March 30th.—The Sefton Park Plate of 459 sovs., for two-year-olds; straight half-mile. Col. W. Hall Walker’s ch. c. Polar Star, by Pioneer—Go On, 8st. 6lb. B. Lynham 1 Mr. E. Barlow’s br. f. Quaver, 8st. 6lb. H. Randall 2 Sir R. W. B. Jardine’s b. f. Edict, 8st. 6lb. E. Wheatley 3 2 to 1 on Polar Star.

Grand National Steeplechase (a handicap) of 2,750 sovs.; Grand National Course (about four miles and 856 yards). Prince Hatzfeldt’s ch. h. Ascetic’s Silver, by Mr. A. Ascetic—Silver Lady, 9 yrs., 10st. 9lb. Hastings 1 Mr. E. M. Lucas’s ch. g. Red Lad, 6 yrs., 10st. 2lb. C. Kelly 2 Mr. B. W. Parr’s ch. m. Aunt May, 10 yrs., 11st. 2lb. Mr. H. Persse 3 20 to 1 agst. Ascetic’s Silver.

March 31st.—The Liverpool Hurdle Handicap of 500 sovs.; two miles. Capt. C. P. B. Wood’s ch. c. Amersham, by Marco—Shardeloes, 4 yrs., 10st. 13lb. F. Morgan 1 Mr. S. M. Nolan’s bl. h. The Arrowed, 5 yrs., 11st. 8lb. R. Morgan 2 Capt. F. Bald’s b. g. Rosebury, 5 yrs., 10st, 9lb. G. Goswell 3 7 to 2 agst. Amersham.

The Earl of Sefton’s Plate (handicap) of 500 sovs.; Anchor Bridge Course (six furlongs). Mr. H. Barnato’s ch. c. Auriform, by Cyllene—Auricula, 4 yrs., 6st. 10lb. J. Howard 1 Lord Derby’s b. g. Persinus, 4 yrs., 7st. 3lb. W. Saxby 2 Capt. F. Bald’s b. h. Gold Lock, 6 yrs., 7st. 8lb. (car. 7st. 9lb.) O. Madden 3 10 to 1 agst. Auriform.

The (Twenty-sixth) Champion Steeplechase of 1,000 sovs.; about three miles. Mr. John Widger’s ch. g. Royal Bow II., by Royal Mr. J. Meath—Bow Legged Bet, 5 yrs., 11st. 5lb. Widger 1 Mr. W. Welch’s b. g. Mahratta, aged, 11st. A. Newey 2 Capt. M. Hughes’ b. g, Vaerdalen, 5 yrs., 11st. M. Harty 3 100 to 8 agst. Royal Bow II.

WARWICK CLUB MEETING.

April 2nd.—The Kineton Two-Year-Old Stakes of 5 sovs. each for starters, with 100 sovs. added; four furlongs and a half. Lord Wolverton’s b. colt by Orme Perleonie, 9st. 2lb. H. Jones 1 Mr. M. Gurry’s b. f. Geoffros, 8st. 8lb. W. Griggs 2 Sir E. Cassel’s ch. f. Komombos, 8st. 8lb. W. Halsey 3 11 to 10 agst. Perleonie colt.