'Bragg--Richard Bragg,' repeated our friend, thoughtfully, while he scanned the man's features, and ran his sporting acquaintance through his mind's eye. 'Bragg, Bragg,' repeated he, without hitting him off. 'I was huntsman, sir, to my Lord Reynard, sir,' observed the stranger, with a touch of the hat to each 'sir.' 'Thought p'r'aps you might have known his ludship, sir. Before him, sir, I held office, sir, under the Duke of Downeybird, sir, of Downeybird Castle, sir, in Downeybirdshire, sir.' 'Indeed!' replied Mr. Puffington, with a half-bow and a smile of politeness. 'Hearing, sir, you had taken these Mangeysterne _dogs_, sir,' continued the stranger, with rather a significant emphasis on the word '_dogs_'--'hearing, sir, you had taken these Mangeysterne _dogs_, sir, it occurred to me that possibly I might be useful to you, sir, in your new calling, sir; and if you were of the same opinion, sir, why, sir, I should be glad to negotiate a connexion, sir.' 'Hem!--hem!--hem!' coughed Mr. Puffington. 'In the way of a huntsman do you mean?' afraid to talk of servitude to so fine a gentleman. 'Just so,' said Mr. Bragg, with a chuck of his head, 'just so. The fact is, though I'm used to the grass countries, sir, and could go to the Marquis of Maneylies, sir, to-morrow, sir, I should prefer a quiet place in a somewhat inferior country, sir, to a five-days-a-week one in the best. Five and six days a week, sir, is a terrible tax, sir, on the constitution, sir; and though, sir, I'm thankful to say, sir, I've pretty good 'ealth, sir, yet, sir, you know, sir, it don't do, sir, to take too great liberties with oneself, sir'; Mr. Bragg sawing away at his hat as he spoke, measuring off a touch, as it were, to each 'sir,' the action becoming quick towards the end. 'Why, to tell you the truth,' said Puff, looking rather sheepish, 'to tell you the truth--I intended--I thought at least of--of--of--hunting them myself.' 'Ah! that's another pair of shoes altogether, as we say in France,' replied Bragg, with a low bow and a copious round of the hand to the hat. 'That's _another_ pair of shoes altogether,' repeated he, tapping his boot with his whip. 'Why, I _thought_ of it,' rejoined Puff, not feeling quite sure whether he could or not. 'Well,' said Mr. Bragg, drawing on his dogskin glove as if to be off. 'My friend Swellcove does it,' observed Puff.