ed. In the two preceding terms they had been smaller by some five
or six. The camp at Borth, therefore, had not suffered from want of
recruits. Indeed, it was now foreseen that the return to Uppingham would
be for about one-third of the school a first arrival there.

The beginning of the end of our exile seemed to be marked by the reduced
number of masters' families in camp. Some had gone into winter quarters
at Aberystwith; some had already resettled at Uppingham. Our connection
with home began to be retightened also by parochial and other common
transactions, in which we took our share from a distance. Not, indeed,
that the connection had ever been discontinued. We had left too precious
pledges behind us. The deserted gardens did not waste all their
sweetness on the air which we had exchanged for a "fresher clime." A
thin intermittent stream of their products found its way along the nine
hours of railway through most of the year. Flowers, fruit, and
vegetables might raise tantalising memories of the pleasant places where
they grew, but were not the less welcome to dwellers in this somewhat
austere tract where they did not grow or grew very niggardly. The
traffic in these delicacies drew the attention of the London and North-
Western Railway Company, whose officials called to account one of our
servants for travelling with an excess of personal luggage. The artless
contrabandist, besides his own modest pack, had fourteen several hampers
and boxes under his charge. This was checked. But who was the miscreant
who systematically staved in and pounded into such odd shapes the little
tin boxes in which our rose-fanciers had their choice blooms sent them by
post? Post Office authorities thought the damage was caused by "the
pressure of the letters." We did not, and remonstrated, till the
practice, whoever was the criminal, was stopped. Besides these gracious
souvenirs of home, there were from time to time business matters which we
had to transact as parishioners and ratepayers. One was sensible of an
almost humorous contrast, when we discussed our interests in the Midlands
in a room overlooking the coast and hills of Cardiganshire, where one
turned from watching the waves breaking crisply on the beach, to study a
map of some property in Rutland pastures. It has been accounted a signal
proof of Roman self-confidence, that bidders could be found for a piece
of land on which Hannibal was encamped at the moment