hat with the stock and everything
else belonging to the farm for a round sum; and the Chancery people
told us that we might take anything for ourselves from home that had
been bought by ourselves, had belonged to our mother, or been given to
us individually.

So the furniture of Fulk's rooms in London--most of which he had had at
Oxford--my own piano, our books, and various little worktables, chairs,
pictures, and knicknacks appertained to us; also, we brought what
belonged to the little one's nursery, and put him in the large room.
His grand nurse--Earl though he was--could not stand the change; but
old Blake, who was retiring into a public house, as he could do nothing
else for us, suggested his youngest sister, who became the comfort of
my life, for she was the widow of a small farmer, and could give me
plenty of sound counsel as to how much pork to provide for the
labourers, and how much small beer would keep them in good heart, and
not make them too merry. And she had too much good sense to get into
rivalry with Susan Sisson, the hind's wife, who lived in a kind of
lean-to cottage opening into the farm-yard, and was the chief (real)
manager of the dairy and poultry--though such was not Jaquetta's view
of the case by any manner of means.

What a help it was to have one creature who did enjoy it all from the
very first!

The parting with Bertram was sore, and one's heart will ache after him
still at times, though he is prosperous and happy with his wife and
fine family at the new Trevorsham. Fulk went through it all in a grave
set way, as if he knew he never should be happy again, and accepted
everything in silence, as a matter of course, not wanting to sadden us,
but often grieving me more by his steady silence than if he had
complained.

One thing he was resolved on, that he would be a farmer out and
out--not a gentleman farmer, as he said; but though he only wore
broadcloth in the evening and on Sundays, I can't say he ever succeeded
in not looking more of the gentleman.

We fitted up the little parlour with our prettiest things, and it was
our morning room, and we put a screen across the big keeping-room,
which made it snug for a family gathering place. But those were the
days when everyone was abusing the farmers for not living with their
labourers in the house, and Fulk was determined to try it, at least the
first year, either for the sake of consistency, or because he was
resolved to keep our expense