The breach betwixt the Rockville, Bullockshed and Tenterhook class and that of Woodburn, Hillmartin and Cotmanhaye was enormously widened. Simon Degge, Mayor of Castleborough, and county magistrate of Hillmartin, was regarded as a pestilent demagogue of the first rank: and all those who fraternized with him, as the Claverings, Woodburns, Heritages, and indeed many of the more enlightened county families, and the whole of the Castleborough population, were looked on as a crooked generation, hostile to all the ancient institutions of the country. In woods and kennels, and in several country halls, Simon Degge and his friends were cursed before all the gods of the game-laws; in town and village everywhere Simon Degge was the hero of the people. All looked to him as their friend and powerful protector. “One of ourselves,” they said, “he does not desert us, he remains one of ourselves.” Whoever saw him, saw a man as little like a restless mischievous demagogue as it was possible to conceive. For a great part of the day he was in town, partly attending to his own mercantile affairs, partly to the affairs of his office. When he got to Hillmartin, he might be seen riding quietly over his farm, or at home happy and gay as possible amidst three or four children, now enlivening his house: or he was taking a quiet drive with his mother and wife, as if he had no care on him, and no desire in him to do battle with any one. Of the feeling abroad amongst the Nimrod class and their followers, a circumstance soon occurred to make him more deeply sensible. On a fine summer evening, George and Letty Woodburn had ridden to Hillmartin, and Simon Degge had mounted his horse and accompanied them a few miles further on the road beyond Gotham. Letty was mounted on a handsome light bay mare, which had been newly purchased for her. She was delighted with it, and praised the easy paces of the creature. “She is very handsome,” said Simon Degge, “but there is occasionally a rather vicious look in her eye that I don’t like. I would advise you to ride her with a martingale, and a curb-bit rather than with that snaffle.” “Do you think so?” said Letty, “she is very fresh, certainly, but I think quite gentle and amiable,” and she patted her on the neck. “She does sometimes cast side-glances with her eyes,” said George, “that are a little suspicious, and she is rather hard-mouthed. I shall adopt your advice, Mr. Degge, as safest.”