his feelings and tried to sympathize, although the
effort cost her something.

In the meantime, Jim went to see his tenants. He dined with one at
noon in an old farm kitchen and afterwards occupied himself by
examining horses, buildings, and agricultural machines. On the whole,
he puzzled the small farmers, to whom a landlord of his type was new,
although they liked his frankness and answered his direct questions,
since it was obvious that this was a man who knew how things were done.
Some of the tenants who had known his grandfather talked about Jim
afterwards and agreed that he had not much in common with the country
gentleman; he was like Bernard Dearham, who opened the famous iron
mines.

When they returned in the afternoon across the small turnip and stubble
fields, Jim said to Jake, "I've seen enough of the plow land. Let's go
across the marsh."

Jake agreed, and by and by Jim, leaning against a gate, indicated the
long rows of hedges that ran down the slope and melted into an
indistinct mass on the level plain.

"There's nothing much to be done here in the meantime. These folks are
wasting labor and money plowing their little fields, but I reckon
they're slow and stubborn. It wouldn't pay to hustle them yet."

"No," said Jake, with a twinkle. "I expect it hurts to feel you must
keep your hands off, but you seem to know when you've got to allow for
the idiosyncrasies of human nature. It's harder to use men properly
than horses and machines."

"Some day, perhaps, I'll grub out these hedges and make room for the
tractors to rip a furrow right across the farms. I've no use for
wasting land on weeds and thorns."

"You think so now," Jake rejoined. "You haven't been here very long
and there's something insidious about the country; its old-time customs
get hold of one. Then I don't know if the tractor's picturesque, and
cutting down trees and hedges might spoil the landscape. It wouldn't
be quite so English after you had done."

Jim looked at him rather hard. "Sometimes you're pretty smart.
Anyhow, I can't spoil the marsh by covering it with good grass and
corn, and if the thing could be done economically, it ought to pay."

"It's possible. Are you keen about the profit? Or do you want a new
big job?"

"I'm not going to philosophize; that's your proper line," Jim answered
with a laugh. "Let's see if the creeks could be dyked."

They went down the hill and plunged into a belt of tall dry gras