The greater part of my leave was, therefore, spent in Ireland.
During the winter months I hunted with the Curraghmore hounds, and was out with them the day before Lord Waterford was killed.

We had no run, and at the end of the day, when wishing us good-bye, he said: 'I hope, gentlemen, we shall have better luck next time.' 'Next time' there was 'better luck' as regarded the hunting, but the worst of all possible luck for Lord Waterford's numerous friends; in returning home after a good run, and having killed two foxes, his horse stumbled over quite a small ditch, throwing his rider on his head; the spinal cord was snapped and the fine sportsman breathed his last in a few moments.
I was married on the 17th May, 1859, in the parish church of Waterford.

While on our wedding tour in Scotland, I received a command to be present on the 8th June at Buckingham Palace, when the Queen proposed to honour the recipients of the Victoria Cross by presenting the decoration with Her Majesty's own hands.
Being anxious that my wife should be spared the great heat of a journey to India in July, the hottest month of the year in the Red Sea, and the doctors being very decided in their opinion that I should not return so soon, I had applied for a three months' extension of leave, and quite calculated on getting it, so our disappointment was great when the answer arrived and I found that, if I took the extension, I should lose my appointment in the Quartermaster-General's Department.

This, we agreed, was not to be thought of, so there was nothing for it but to face the disagreeable necessity as cheerfully as we could.

We made a dash over to Ireland, said good-bye to our relations, and started for India on the 27th June.
[Illustration: LADY ROBERTS (WIFE OF SIR ABRAHAM ROBERTS).
_From a sketch by Carpenter._] The heat in the Red Sea proved even worse than I had anticipated.