and wanted no favor beyond renewal of his
lease on the old terms, he told my father to wait a minute and left. It
might be half an hour or more when a flunkey beckoned the master to
follow him. Throwing open a door he entered what he took to be the
library, for it had shelves of books. His lordship was alone, seated by
the fireplace with a newspaper on his lap. 'Now, say what you have to
say in fewest words,' said the nobleman. Standing before him the master
told how he had taken the farm 19 years ago, had observed every
condition of the lease, and had gone beyond them in keeping the farm in
good heart, for he had improved it in many ways, especially during the
past few years when he had ditched and limed and levelled a boggy piece
of land, and changed it from growing rushes into the best pasture-field
on the farm. 'Gin the farm is worth more, it is me who has made it and I
crave your lordship to either give me another tack at the same rent or
pay me what my betterments are worth.' His Lordship turned and touched a
bell. On the flunkey appearing, he said to him, 'Show this fellow to
the door,' and took up his newspaper. As the master finished, he said to
us, 'Dear as every acre of the farm is to me, I will leave it and go
where the man who works the land may own it and where there are no lords
and dukes, nor baronets. I am a man and never again will I ask as a
favor what is my due of any fellow-mortal with a title.' We went to bed
that night sorrowful and fearing what was before us.

When he took anything in hand the master went through with it. Before
the week was out he had given up the farm, arranged for an auction sale,
and for going to Canada. My heart was filled with misgivings as to what
would become of me. I knew crops had been short for two years, and,
though he was even with the world, the master had not a pound to spare,
and depended on the auction-sale for the money to pay for outfit and
passage to Canada. I had no right to expect he would pay for me, and all
the more that he would have no use for a lad such as I was in his new
home. It was not so much of what might happen to myself after they were
gone that I thought about, as of parting with the family, for I loved
every one of them. I knew they were considering what to do with me, and
one day, on the master getting me alone, he seemed relieved on telling
me the new tenant of the farm was going to keep me on for my meat. I
thanked him, for it was better tha