nglish class that has disappeared.
Well, Mr Franklin, be sure of this, that the Population Returns of this
country are very instructive reading."

"I can conceive so."

"I became a man when the bad times were beginning," said Gerard; "I have
passed through many doleful years. I was a Franklin's son myself, and we
had lived on this island at least no worse for a longer time than I care
to recollect as little as what I am now. But that's nothing; I am not
thinking of myself. I am prosperous in a fashion; it is the serfs I live
among of whom I am thinking. Well, I have heard, in the course of years,
of some specifics for this constant degradation of the people; some
thing or some person that was to put all right; and for my part, I was
not unready to support any proposal or follow any leader. There was
reform, and there was paper money, and no machinery, and a thousand
other remedies; and there were demagogues of all kinds, some as had as
myself, and some with blood in their veins almost as costly as flows in
those of our great neighbour here. Earl de Mowbray, and I have always
heard that was very choice: but I will frankly own to you, I never
had much faith in any of these proposals or proposers; but they were a
change, and that is something. But I have been persuaded of late that
there is something going on in this country of more efficacy; a remedial
power, as I believe, and irresistible; but whether remedial or not,
at any rate a power that will mar all or cure all. You apprehend me?
I speak of the annual arrival of more than three hundred thousand
strangers in this island. How will you feed them? How will you clothe
them? How will you house them? They have given up butcher's meat; must
they give up bread? And as for raiment and shelter, the rags of the
kingdom are exhausted and your sinks and cellars already swarm like
rabbit warrens.

"'Tis an awful consideration," said Egremont musing.

"Awful," said Gerard; "'tis the most solemn thing since the deluge.
What kingdom can stand against it? Why go to your history--you're a
scholar,--and see the fall of the great Roman empire--what was that?
Every now and then, there came two or three hundred thousand strangers
out of the forests and crossed the mountains and rivers. They come to
us every year and in greater numbers. What are your invasions of the
barbarous nations, your Goths and Visigoths, your Lombards and Huns, to
our Population Returns!"

END OF THE SECOND