’Pa’sonToogoodhadnotbeenlonginhishouseafterleavingthechurchwhenhesawagentlemaninpinkandtop-bootsridepasthiswindows，andwithasuddenflashofheathecalledtomindthatthehoundsmetthatdayjustontheedgeofhisparish。Thepa’sonwasonewhodearlylovedsport，andmuchhelongedtobethere。
’Inshort，excepto’Sundaysandattide-timesintheweek，Pa’sonBillywasthelifeo’theHunt。’Tistruethathewaspoor，andthatherodeallofaheap，andthathisblackmarewasrat-tailedandold，andhistopsolder，andalloverofonecolour，whitey-brown，andfullo’cracks。Buthe’dbeeninatthedeathofthreethousandfoxes。And——beingabachelorman——everytimehewenttobedinsummerheusedtoopenthebedatbottomandcrawlupheadforemost，tomindenofthecomingwinterandthegoodsporthe’dhave，andthefoxesgoingtoearth。AndwhenevertherewasachristeningattheSquire’s，andhehaddinnerthereafterwards，ashealwaysdid，heneverfailedtochristenthechieloveragaininabottleofportwine。
’Nowtheclerkwastheparson’sgroomandgardenerandjineralmanager，andhadjustgotbacktohisworkinthegardenwhenhe，too，sawthehuntingmanpass，andpresentlysawlotsmoreof’em，noblemenandgentry，andthenhesawthehounds，thehuntsman，JimTreadhedge，thewhipper-in，andIdon’tknowwhobesides。Theclerklovedgoingtocoverasfranticalasthepa’son，somuchsothatwheneverhesaworheardthepackhecouldnomorerulehisfeelingsthaniftheywerethewindsofheaven。Hemightbebedding，orhemightbesowing——allwasforgot。Sohethrowsdownhisspadeandrushesintothepa’son，whowasbythistimeasfranticaltogoashe。
’“Thattheremareofyours，sir，dowantexercisebad，verybad，thismorning!“theclerksays，allofatremble。“Don’tyethinkI’dbettertrotherroundthedownsforanhour，sir？“
’“Tobesure，shedoeswantexercisebadly。I’lltrotherroundmyself，“saystheparson。