DELANCEY would never have wanted it known that his stay with Sir Roger Cartnel at Aysgarth Hall, near Bowness, was his first real experience of country life as known to the nobility and gentry. He had realised at the last moment that he would be expected to bring his own servant and finally did so, engaging an idle youth called Jenkins who at any rate looked the part. Sir Roger was far from being a leading figure in society but he was Commodore of the Windermere Yacht Club and it was in this capacity that he had offered hospitality to Ravenglass, Lowther, and Delancey. Colonel Manning and two of his friends were at the Old England Inn at Bowness, next door to the Yacht Club premises. Before leaving London Delancey had heard that the schooner Peggy was already on the lake but he found on arrival that this was not entirely true. She was at Haverthwaite, having been brought ashore below Penny Bridge, and her further progress was slow. She was being manhandled on rollers by shrimp fishermen from Morecambe who were available only when prevented from fishing.
