te for us, and take care
that we are not disforested. They have taken away too much already,
with their horrid enclosures."

"The enclosures will make splendid pine-woods by-and-by."

"Yes, when we are all dead and gone."

"I don't know about Parliament. So long as my poor mother was living I
had an incentive to turn senator, she was so eager for it. But now that
she is gone, I don't feel strongly drawn that way. I suppose I shall
settle down into the approved pattern of country squire: breed fat
cattle--the aristocratic form of cruelty to animals--spend the best
part of my income upon agricultural machinery, talk about guano, like
the Duke, and lecture delinquents at quarter-sessions."

"But Lady Mabel will not allow that. She will be ambitious for you."

"I hope not. I can fancy no affliction greater than an ambitious wife.
No. My poor mother left Mabel her orchids. Mabel will confine her
ambition to orchids and literature. I believe she writes poetry, and
some day she will be tempted to publish a small volume, I daresay.
'AEolian Echoes,' or 'Harp Strings,' or 'Broken Chords,' 'Consecutive
Fifths,' or something of that kind."

"You believe!" exclaimed Vixen. "Surely you have read some of Lady
Mabel's poetry, or heard it read. She must have read some of her verses
to you."

"Never. She is too reserved, and I am too candid. It would be a
dangerous experiment. I should inevitably say something rude. Mabel
adores Shelley and Browning; she reads Greek, too. Her poetry is sure
to be unintelligible, and I should expose my obtuseness of intellect. I
couldn't even look as if I understood it."

"If I were Lady Mabel, I think under such circumstances I should leave
off writing poetry."

"That would be quite absurd. Mabel has a hundred tastes which I do not
share with her. She is devoted to her garden and hot-houses. I hardly
know one flower from another, except the forest wildlings. She detests
horses and dogs. I am never happier than when among them. She reads
AEschylus as glibly as I can read a French newspaper. But she will make
an admirable mistress for Briarwood. She has just that tranquil
superiority which becomes the ruler of a large estate. You will see
what cottages and schools we shall build. There will not be a weed in
our allotment gardens, and our farm-labourers will get all the prizes
at cottage flower-shows."

"You will hunt, of course?"

"Naturally; don't you know that I am to have the hounds next