On this day, however, as the crowd was waiting for me on the little platform of a country station, my fox terrier jumped out in front of me while I was holding him by the string.

“Good ——!” cried a voice from a gentleman to whom I had previously given a situation under Government, livery and all found; “why, blow me if the old bloke ain’t blind!  Lookee there, ‘is dawg’s a-leadin’ ‘im; wot d’ye think o’ that?”

But persons in much higher station were no less at times fond of chaff, which I always took good-humouredly.  A story of Lord Grimthorpe, who, many years after, had some fun with me at times over my little Jack, will appear in his reminiscences a little farther on.  I used to lead Jack with a string in the same manner as I had done the other, for educational purposes, and Lord Grimthorpe jocularly called me Jack’s prisoner.  But I must let him tell his own story in his own way when his turn comes.

The Midland Circuit was always famous for its ill accommodation of her Majesty’s Judges, and of late years even in the supply of prisoners to keep them from loitering away their days in idleness or lonely diversions.

I always loved work and comfortable lodgings, and may say from the first to the last of my judicial days set myself to the improvement of both the work and the accommodation.

Some Judges in their charges used to discourse with the grand jury of our foreign relations, turnips, or the state of trade; but I took a more humble theme at Aylesbury, when I informed that august body that the quarters assigned to her Majesty’s Judges were such that an officer would hardly think them good enough to billet soldiers in.

“My rest, gentlemen, has been rudely disturbed,” said I, “in the lodgings assigned to me.  My bedroom was hardly accessible, on account of what appeared to be a dense fog which was difficult to struggle through.  I sought refuge in the dressing-room.  Being a bitterly cold night and a very draughty room, some one had lighted a fire in it; but, unfortunately, all the smoke came down the chimney after going up a little way, bringing down as much soot as it could manage to lay hold of.  All this is the fault of the antiquated chimneys and ill-contrived building generally.  My marshal was the subject of equal discomfort; and I think I may congratulate you, gentlemen, not only on there being very few prisoners, but also on the fact that you are not holding an inquest on our bodies.”

The grand jury were good enough to say that there was “an institution called the Standing Joint Committee, who will, no doubt, inquire into your lordship’s subject of complaint.”  The “Standing Joint Committee” sounded powerfully, but I believe no further notice was taken, and the question dropped.