the nearest
neighbours, who were, of course, in the regular course of instruction of
the new-comers in the worthlessness and ingratitude of Uphill and the
impossibility of doing anything for the good of the place.

Mary was very glad that he interrupted the subject by saying merrily,
"You caught me in the midst of my Augean stable. I hope next time you
are kind enough to visit us that the yard may be in a more respectable
condition."

Mr Selby observed that it was unpardonable not to have done the work
beforehand, and the captain answered, "On the contrary, it was reserved
as a fragrant bucket, or bouquet for a farmer's wife."

Whereat the visitors looked shocked, and Mary made haste to observe:
"But we do hope to make a better road to the house through the fields."

"There is a great deal to be done first," said Dora, who thought the
observation rather weak.

Nothing else that was interesting took place on this occasion. Mr
Selby asked the captain whether he hunted, and gave him some information
on the sport of all kinds in the neighbourhood. Miss Selby asked Dora
if she liked archery, music, and drawing. Mrs Selby wanted to
recommend a housemaid, and advised Mrs Carbonel against ever taking a
servant from the neighbourhood. And then they all turned to talk of the
evil doings of the parish thieves, poachers, idlers, drunkards, and to
warn the Carbonels once more against hoping to improve them. The horses
could be heard pawing and jingling outside, and, as the ladies rose to
take leave, Captain Carbonel begged leave to hurry out and clear the
coast. And it was well that he did so, for he had to turn back a whole
procession of cows coming in to be milked, and sundry pigs behind them.

The farm court was finished, and never was so bad again, the animals
being kept from spending their day there, except the poultry, in which
Mary took great delight. Soon came more visitors, and it became a joke
to the husband and sister that she always held out hopes of "the future
drive" when they arrived, bumped or mired by the long lane. "Mary's
Approach," as Edmund called it, had to be deferred till more needful
work was done. The guests whom they best liked, Mr and Mrs Grantley,
the clergyman and his wife from the little town of Poppleby, gave an
excellent and hopeful account of their rector, Dr Fogram, who was, they
said, a really good man, and very liberal.

Mrs Grantley was interested in schools and poor people, as