Wewentinside。Anoldwomanwithverywhitehairwasinchargeoftheplaceandcringedratherobviouslytothenewmaster。Sheevidentlyfoundhimaverystrangeandfrightfulapparitionindeed，andwasdreadfullyafraidofhim。Butifthesurvivingpresentboweddowntous，thepastdidnot。Westooduptothedark，longportraitsoftheextinguishedrace——onewasaHolbein——andlookedthemintheirsidelongeyes。Theylookedbackatus。Weall，Iknow，felttheenigmaticalqualityinthem。Evenmyunclewasmomentarilyembarrassed，Ithink，bythatinvinciblyself-complacentexpression。Itwasjustasthough，afterall，hehadnotboughtthemupandreplacedthemaltogether；asthoughthat，secretly，theyknewbetterandcouldsmileathim。
ThespiritoftheplacewasakintoBladesover，buttouchedwithsomethingolderandremoter。Thatarmourthatstoodabouthadonceservedintilt-yards，ifindeedithadnotservedinbattle，andthisfamilyhadsentitsbloodandtreasure，timeaftertime，uponthemostromanticquestinhistory，toPalestine。Dreams，loyalties，placeandhonour，howutterlyhaditallevaporated，leaving，atlast，thefinalexpressionofitsspirit，thesequaintpaintedsmiles，thesesmilesoftriumphantcompletion！Ithadevaporated，indeed，longbeforetheultimateDurganhaddied，andinhisoldagehehadcumberedtheplacewithEarlyVictoriancushionsandcarpetsandtapestrytable-clothsandinvalidappliancesofatypeevenmoreextinct，itseemedtous，thanthecrusades。Yes，itwasdifferentfromBladesover。
“Bitstuffy，George。”saidmyuncle。“Theyhadn’tmuchideaofventilationwhenthiswasbuilt。”
Oneofthepanelledroomswashalf-filledwithpressesandafour-posterbed。“Mightbetheghostroom。”saidmyuncle；butitdidnotseemtomethatsoretiringafamilyastheDurgans，sooldandcompletelyexhaustedafamilyastheDurgans，waslikelytohauntanybody。Whatlivingthingnowhadanyconcernwiththeirhonourandjudgmentsandgoodandevildeeds？Ghostsandwitchcraftwerealaterinnovation——thatfashioncamefromScotlandwiththeStuarts。
Afterwards，pryingforepitaphs，wefoundamarblecrusaderwithabrokennose，underabatteredcanopyoffrettedstone，outsidetherestrictedlimitsofthepresentDuffieldchurch，andhalfburiedinnettles。“Ichabod。”saidmyuncle。“Eh？Weshallbelikethat，Susan，someday。I’mgoingtocleanhimupabitandputarailingtokeepoffthechildren。”
“Oldsavedattheeleventhhour。”saidmyaunt，quotingoneofthelesssuccessfuladvertisementsofTono-Bungay。
ButIdon’tthinkmyuncleheardher。
Itwasbyourcapturedcrusaderthatthevicarfoundus。Hecameroundthecorneratusbriskly，alittleoutofbreath。Hehadanairofhavingbeenrunningafterussincethefirsttootofourhornhadwarnedthevillageofourpresence。HewasanOxfordman，clean-shaven，withacadaverouscomplexionandaguardedlyrespectfulmanner，acultivatedintonation，andageneralairofaccommodationtotheneworderofthings。TheseOxfordmenaretheGreeksofourplutocraticempire。HewasaToryinspirit，andwhatonemaycallanadaptedTorybystressofcircumstances；thatistosay，hewasnolongeralegitimist；
hewaspreparedforthesubstitutionofnewlordsforold。Wewerepillvendorsheknew，andnodoubthorriblyvulgarinsoul；
butthenitmighthavebeensomepolygamousIndianrajah，agreatstrainonagoodman’stact，orsomeJewwithaninheritedexpressionofcontempt。Anyhow，wewereEnglish，andneitherDissentersnorSocialists，andhewascheerfullypreparedtodowhathecouldtomakegentlemenofbothofus。HemighthavepreferredAmericansforsomereasons；theyarenotsoobviouslytakenfromonepartofthesocialsystemanddumpeddowninanother，andtheyaremoreteachable；butinthisworldwecannotalwaysbechoosers。Sohewasverybrightandpleasantwithus，showedusthechurch，gossipedinforminglyaboutourneighboursonthecountryside——Tux，thebanker；LordBoom，themagazineandnewspaperproprietor；LordCarnaby，thatgreatsportsman，andoldLadyOsprey。Andfinallyhetookusbywayofavillagelane——threechildrenbobbedconvulsivelywitheyesofterrorformyuncle——throughameticulousgardentoabig，slovenlyVicaragewithfadedVictorianfurnitureandafadedVictorianwife，whogaveusteaandintroducedustoaconfusingfamilydispersedamongalotofdisintegratingbasketchairsupontheedgeofawell-usedtennislawn。
Thesepeopleinterestedme。Theywereacommontype，nodoubt，buttheywerenewtome。Thereweretwolanksonswhohadbeenplayingsinglesattennis，red-earedyouthsgrowingblackmoustaches，anddressedinconscientiouslyuntidytweedsandunbuttonedandungirtNorfolkjackets。Therewereanumberofill-nourished-lookingdaughters，sensibleandeconomicalintheircostume，theyoungerstillwithlong，brown-stockingedlegs，andtheeldestpresent——therewere，wediscovered，oneortwohiddenaway——displayingalargegoldcrossandotheraggressiveecclesiasticalsymbols；thereweretwoorthreefox-terriers，aretrieverishmongrel，andanold，bloody-eyedandveryevil-smellingSt。Bernard。Therewasajackdaw。Therewas，moreover，anambiguous，silentladythatmyauntsubsequentlydecidedmustbeaverydeafpayingguest。Twoorthreeotherpeoplehadconcealedthemselvesatourcomingandleftunfinishedteasbehindthem。Rugsandcushionslayamongthechairs，andtwoofthelatterwere，Inoted，coveredwithUnionJacks。
Thevicarintroducedussketchily，andthefadedVictorianwiferegardedmyauntwithamixtureofconventionalscornandabjectrespect，andtalkedtoherinalanguid，persistentvoiceaboutpeopleintheneighbourhoodwhommyauntcouldnotpossiblyknow。
Myauntreceivedthesepersonaliacheerfully，withherblueeyesflittingfrompointtopoint，andcomingbackagainandagaintothepinchedfacesofthedaughtersandthecrossupontheeldest’sbreast。Encouragedbymyaunt’smanner，thevicar’swifegrewpatronisingandkindly，andmadeitevidentthatshecoulddomuchtobridgethesocialgulfbetweenourselvesandthepeopleoffamilyaboutus。
Ihadjustsnatchesofthatconversation。“Mrs。Merridewbroughthimquitealotofmoney。Herfather，Ibelieve，hadbeenintheSpanishwinetrade——quitealadythough。Andafterthathefelloffhishorseandcrackedhisbrainpanandtooktofishingandfarming。I’msureyou’llliketoknowthem。He’smostamusing。ThedaughterhadadisappointmentandwenttoChinaasamissionaryandgotmixedupinamassacre。”。
“Themostbeautifulsilksandthingsshebroughtback，you’dhardlybelieve！”
“Yes，theygavethemtopropitiateher。Yousee，theydidn’tunderstandthedifference，andtheythoughtthatasthey’dbeenmassacringpeople，THEY’Dbemassacred。Theydidn’tunderstandthedifferenceChristianitymakes。”。
“Sevenbishopsthey’vehadinthefamily！”
“MarriedaPapistandwasquitelosttothem。”。
“Hefailedsomedreadfulexaminationandhadtogointothemilitia。”。
“Soshebithislegashardasevershecouldandheletgo。”。
“Hadfourofhisribsamputated。”。
“Caughtmeningitisandwascarriedoffinaweek。”
“Hadtohavealargepieceofsilvertubeletintohisthroat，andifhewantstotalkheputshisfingeronit。Itmakeshimsointeresting，Ithink。Youfeelhe’ssinceresomehow。Amostcharmingmanineveryway。”
“Preservedthembothinspiritsveryluckily，andtheretheyareinhisstudy，thoughofcoursehedoesn’tshowthemtoeverybody。”
Thesilentlady，unperturbedbytheseapparentlyexcitingtopics，scrutinisedmyaunt’scostumewithasingularintensity，andwasvisiblymovedwhensheunbuttonedherdustcloakandflungitwide。Meanwhilewemenconversed，oneofthemorespiriteddaughterslistenedbrightly，andtheyouthslayonthegrassatourfeet。Myuncleofferedthemcigars，buttheybothdeclined，——outofbashfulness，itseemedtome，whereasthevicar，Ithink，acceptedoutoftact。Whenwewerenotlookingatthemdirectly，theseyoungmenwouldkickeachotherfurtively。
Undertheinfluenceofmyuncle’scigar，thevicar’smindhadsoaredbeyondthelimitsofthedistrict。“ThisSocialism。”hesaid，“seemsmakinggreatheadway。”
Myuncleshookhishead。“We’retooindividualisticinthiscountryforthatsortofnonsense。”hesaid“Everybody’sbusinessisnobody’sbusiness。That’swheretheygowrong。”
“Theyhavesomeintelligentpeopleintheirranks，Iamtold。”
saidthevicar，“writersandsoforth。Quiteadistinguishedplaywright，myeldestdaughterwastellingme——Iforgethisname。
Milly，dear！Oh！she’snothere。Painters，too，theyhave。
ThisSocialist，itseemstome，ispartoftheUnrestoftheAge。But，asyousay，thespiritofthepeopleisagainstit。
Inthecountry，atanyrate。Thepeopledownherearetoosturdilyindependentintheirsmallway——andtoosensiblealtogether。”。
“It’sagreatthingforDuffieldtohaveLadyGroveoccupiedagain。”hewassayingwhenmywanderingattentioncamebackfromsomeattractivecasualtyinhiswife’sdiscourse。“Peoplehavealwayslookeduptothehouseandconsideringallthings，oldMr。
Durganreallywasextraordinarilygood——extraordinarilygood。
Youintendtogiveusagooddealofyourtimehere，Ihope。”
“ImeantodomydutybytheParish。”saidmyuncle。
“I’msincerelygladtohearit——sincerely。We’vemissed——thehouseinfluence。AnEnglishvillageisn’tcomplete——Peoplegetoutofhand。Lifegrowsdull。TheyoungpeopledriftawaytoLondon。”
Heenjoyedhiscigargingerlyforamoment。
“Weshalllooktoyoutoliventhingsup。”hesaid，poorman！
Myunclecockedhiscigarandremoveditfromhismouth。
“Whatyouthinktheplacewants？”heasked。
Hedidnotwaitforananswer。“Ibeenthinkingwhileyoubeentalking——thingsonemightdo。Cricket——agoodEnglishgame——sports。Buildthechapsapavilionperhaps。Theneveryvillageoughttohaveaminiatureriflerange。”
“Ye-ees。”saidthevicar。“Provided，ofcourse，thereisn’taconstantpopping。”。
“Managethatallright。”saidmyuncle。“Thing’dbeasortoflongshed。Paintitred。Britishcolour。Thenthere’saUnionJackforthechurchandthevillageschool。Painttheschoolred，too，p’raps。Notenoughcolouraboutnow。Toogrey。Thenamaypole。”
