ey were the tenants. These very inconsiderate folk argued that it was
the keepers' and Luke's interest to maintain a very large stock of
rabbits, which meant great inroads on their crops. There seemed to be
even something like truth in their complaints; and once or twice the
more independent carried their grievances to headquarters so effectually
as to elicit an order for the destruction of the rabbits forthwith on
their farms. But of what avail was such an order when the execution of
it was entrusted to Luke himself?

In time the tenants got to put up with Luke; and the wiser of them
turned round and tried to make it still more pleasant for _him_: they
spoke a good word for him; they gave him a quart of ale, and put little
things in his way, such as a chance to buy and sell faggots at a small
profit. Not to be ungrateful, Luke kept their rabbits within reasonable
bounds; and he had this great recommendation--that whether they bullied
him or whether they gave him ale and bread-and-cheese, Luke was always
humble and always touched his hat.

His wife kept a small shop for the sale of the coarser groceries and a
little bacon. He had also rather extensive gardens, from which he sold
quantities of vegetables. It was more than suspected that the carrier's
cart was really Luke's--that is, he found the money for horsing it, and
could take possession if he liked. The carrier's cart took his rabbits,
and the game he purchased of poachers, to the railway, and the
vegetables from the gardens to the customers in town.

At least one cottage besides his own belonged to him; and some would
have it that this was one of the reasons of his success with the
'quality.' The people at the great house, anxious to increase their
influence, wished to buy every cottage and spare piece of land. This was
well known, and many small owners prided themselves upon spiting the big
people at the great house by refusing to sell, or selling to another
person. The great house was believed to have secured the first 'refuse'
of Luke's property, if ever he thought of selling. Luke, in fact, among
the lower classes was looked upon as a capitalist--a miser with an
unknown hoard. The old man used to sit of a winter's evening, after he
had brought down the rabbits, by the hearth, making rabbit-nets of
twine. Almost everybody who came along the road, home from the market
town, stopped, lifted the latch without knocking, and looked in to tell
the news or hear it.