e, a place in which you
would be as effectually cut off from your fellows as if you went to live
in Kamschatka. Indeed, you would not be so cut off if you went to
Kamschatka, for you might be acknowledged to be living there, but to
have it said that you lived at Melbury Park would _stamp_ you. It would
be as easy to say you were living in Halloway Goal. It was a place they
stopped you at when you came into London on the North Central Railway,
to take your tickets. The Squire mentioned this as if a place where they
took your tickets was of necessity a dreadful kind of a place. "Little
have I ever thought," he said, "when I have been pulled up there, and
looked at those streets and streets of mean little houses, that a son of
mine would one day want to go and _live_ there. 'Pon my word, I think
Walter's brain must be giving way."

It was Cicely who asked why Walter wanted to live at Melbury Park, and
what Muriel said about it.

"He doesn't say a word about Muriel," snapped the Squire. "I suppose
Muriel is backing him up. I shall certainly speak to Jim and Mrs. Graham
about it. It is disgraceful--positively disgraceful--to think of taking
a girl like Muriel to live in such a place. She wouldn't have a soul to
speak to, and she would have to mix with all sorts of people. A doctor's
wife can't keep to herself like other women. Oh, I don't know why he
wants to go there. Don't ask me such questions. I was ready to start him
amongst nice people, whatever it had cost, and he might have been in a
first-class position while other men of his age were only thinking about
it. But no, he must have his own silly way. He shan't have his way. I'll
put my foot down. I won't have the name of Clinton disgraced. It has
been respected for hundreds of years, and I don't know that I've ever
done anything to bring it down. It's a little too much that one of my
own sons should go out of his way to throw mud at it. I've stood enough.
I won't stand any more. Melbury Park! A pretty sort of _park_!"

Having thus relieved his feelings the Squire was enabled to eat a fairly
good breakfast, with a plateful of ham to follow his bacon and eggs and
mushrooms, a spoonful or two of marmalade, and some strawberries to
finish up with. It came out further that Walter was coming down by the
afternoon train to dine and sleep, and presumably to discuss the
proposal of which he had given warning, and that the Squire proposed to
ask Tom and his wife to luncheon, o