's no security, or peace and tranquillity, except
underground. And then, if your ideas get larger and you want to
expand--why, a dig and a scrape, and there you are! If you feel your
house is a bit too big, you stop up a hole or two, and there you are
again! No builders, no tradesmen, no remarks passed on you by fellows
looking over your wall, and, above all, no WEATHER. Look at Rat, now. A
couple of feet of flood water, and he's got to move into hired lodgings;
uncomfortable, inconveniently situated, and horribly expensive. Take
Toad. I say nothing against Toad Hall; quite the best house in these
parts, AS a house. But supposing a fire breaks out--where's Toad?
Supposing tiles are blown off, or walls sink or crack, or windows get
broken--where's Toad? Supposing the rooms are draughty--I HATE a draught
myself--where's Toad? No, up and out of doors is good enough to roam
about and get one's living in; but underground to come back to at
last--that's my idea of HOME.'

The Mole assented heartily; and the Badger in consequence got very
friendly with him. 'When lunch is over,' he said, 'I'll take you all
round this little place of mine. I can see you'll appreciate it. You
understand what domestic architecture ought to be, you do.'

After luncheon, accordingly, when the other two had settled themselves
into the chimney-corner and had started a heated argument on the subject
of EELS, the Badger lighted a lantern and bade the Mole follow him.
Crossing the hall, they passed down one of the principal tunnels, and
the wavering light of the lantern gave glimpses on either side of rooms
both large and small, some mere cupboards, others nearly as broad and
imposing as Toad's dining-hall. A narrow passage at right angles led
them into another corridor, and here the same thing was repeated. The
Mole was staggered at the size, the extent, the ramifications of it all;
at the length of the dim passages, the solid vaultings of the crammed
store-chambers, the masonry everywhere, the pillars, the arches, the
pavements. 'How on earth, Badger,' he said at last, 'did you ever find
time and strength to do all this? It's astonishing!'

'It WOULD be astonishing indeed,' said the Badger simply, 'if I HAD
done it. But as a matter of fact I did none of it--only cleaned out the
passages and chambers, as far as I had need of them. There's lots more
of it, all round about. I see you don't understand, and I must explain
it to you. Well, very long ago,