the
domain, whereby there came to be a locality called Framley Cross.
Here stood the "Lufton Arms," and here, at Framley Cross, the hounds
occasionally would meet; for the Framley woods were drawn in spite
of the young lord's truant disposition; and then, at the Cross also,
lived the shoemaker, who kept the post-office.

Framley church was distant from this just a quarter of a mile, and
stood immediately opposite to the chief entrance to Framley Court. It
was but a mean, ugly building, having been erected about a hundred
years since, when all churches then built were made to be mean and
ugly; nor was it large enough for the congregation, some of whom were
thus driven to the dissenting chapels, the Sions and Ebenezers, which
had got themselves established on each side of the parish, in putting
down which Lady Lufton thought that her pet parson was hardly as
energetic as he might be. It was, therefore, a matter near to Lady
Lufton's heart to see a new church built, and she was urgent in her
eloquence both with her son and with the vicar, to have this good
work commenced.

Beyond the church, but close to it, were the boys' school and girls'
school, two distinct buildings, which owed their erection to Lady
Lufton's energy; then came a neat little grocer's shop, the neat
grocer being the clerk and sexton, and the neat grocer's wife the
pew-opener in the church. Podgens was their name, and they were great
favourites with her ladyship, both having been servants up at the
house. And here the road took a sudden turn to the left, turning, as
it were, away from Framley Court; and just beyond the turn was the
vicarage, so that there was a little garden path running from the
back of the vicarage grounds into the churchyard, cutting the Podgens
off into an isolated corner of their own;--from whence, to tell
the truth, the vicar would have been glad to banish them and their
cabbages, could he have had the power to do so. For has not the small
vineyard of Naboth been always an eyesore to neighbouring potentates?

The potentate in this case had as little excuse as Ahab, for nothing
in the parsonage way could be more perfect than his parsonage. It had
all the details requisite for the house of a moderate gentleman with
moderate means, and none of those expensive superfluities which
immoderate gentlemen demand, or which themselves demand immoderate
means. And then the gardens and paddocks were exactly suited to it;
and everything was