't show them to everybody."

The silent lady, unperturbed by these apparently exciting topics,
scrutinised my aunt's costume with a singular intensity, and was visibly
moved when she unbuttoned her dust cloak and flung it wide. Meanwhile we
men conversed, one of the more spirited daughters listened brightly, and
the youths lay on the grass at our feet. My uncle offered them cigars,
but they both declined,--out of bashfulness, it seemed to me, whereas
the vicar, I think, accepted out of tact. When we were not looking at
them directly, these young men would kick each other furtively.

Under the influence of my uncle's cigar, the vicar's mind had soared
beyond the limits of the district. "This Socialism," he said, "seems
making great headway."

My uncle shook his head. "We're too individualistic in this country
for that sort of nonsense," he said "Everybody's business is nobody's
business. That's where they go wrong."

"They have some intelligent people in their ranks, I am told," said
the vicar, "writers and so forth. Quite a distinguished playwright, my
eldest daughter was telling me--I forget his name.

"Milly, dear! Oh! she's not here. Painters, too, they have. This
Socialist, it seems to me, is part of the Unrest of the Age.... But, as
you say, the spirit of the people is against it. In the country, at any
rate. The people down here are too sturdily independent in their small
way--and too sensible altogether."...

"It's a great thing for Duffield to have Lady Grove occupied again," he
was saying when my wandering attention came back from some attractive
casualty in his wife's discourse. "People have always looked up to
the house and considering all things, old Mr. Durgan really was
extraordinarily good--extraordinarily good. You intend to give us a good
deal of your time here, I hope."

"I mean to do my duty by the Parish," said my uncle.

"I'm sincerely glad to hear it--sincerely. We've missed--the house
influence. An English village isn't complete--People get out of hand.
Life grows dull. The young people drift away to London."

He enjoyed his cigar gingerly for a moment.

"We shall look to you to liven things up," he said, poor man!

My uncle cocked his cigar and removed it from his mouth.

"What you think the place wants?" he asked.

He did not wait for an answer. "I been thinking while you been
talking--things one might do. Cricket--a good English game--sports.
Build the chaps a pavilion perhaps. T