and rotting cottages, to listen to the reiteration of the shameful
story of his criminal neglect. Here the windows were bursting from their
setting, like the bulging eyes of suffocating men; and here the door-frame
was in a state of collapse. In one cottage the ceiling was depositing
itself, by frequent instalments, on the floor; and in another the floor
itself was rotting away. In every case, Mr. Gray made bold to promise the
speedy rectification of everything that was wrong; and "Cobbler" Horn
confirmed his promises in a manner so authoritative that it would have
been a wonder if his discontented tenants had not caught some glimmering
of the truth as to who he was.

On leaving the cottages, Mr. Gray took his employer to one of the
farm-houses which his property comprised. They found the farmer, a burly,
red-faced, ultra-choleric man, excited over some recently-consummated
dilapidations on his premises. He conducted his visitors over his house
and farm-buildings, grumbling like an ungreased wagon. His abuse of
"Cobbler" Horn's dead uncle was unstinted, and almost every other word was
a rumbling oath. Mr. Gray assured him that all would be put right now in a
very short time; and "Cobbler" Horn said, "Yes, he was sure it would."

The farmer stared in surprise; but his blunter perception proved less
penetrative than the keen insight of the women, and he simply wondered
what this rather rough looking stranger could know about it, anyhow. He
expressed a hope that it might be as Mr. Gray said. For himself he hadn't
much faith. But, if there wasn't something done soon, the new landlord had
better not show himself there, that was all; and the aggrieved farmer
clenched his implied threat with the most emphatic oath he was able to
produce.

Their inspection of the remainder of the village revealed, on every side,
the same condition of ruin and decay; and it was with a sad and indignant
heart that "Cobbler" Horn at length sat down, in Mrs. Gray's front
parlour, to a late but welcome cup of tea.

"To-morrow," he said, "we'll have a look at the old hall."

"The Golden Shoemaker" spent the evening in close consultation with his
agent. The state of the property was thoroughly discussed, and Mr. Gray
was invested with full power to renovate and renew. His employer enjoined
him to make complete work. He was to exceed, rather than stop short of,
what was necessary, and to do even more than the tenants asked.

"You will understand,