ns was a magnificent muster of all his
friends. There was Sir Roger himself in the chair; and on either hand, a
prodigious row of county squirearchy. There was Sir Benjamin Bullockshed,
and Sir Thomas Tenterhook, and all the squires,--Sheepshank, Ramsbottom,
Turnbull, Otterbrook, and Swagsides. The Clerk of Sessions read the
notice for the closing of all the footpaths through the woods of
Rockville, and declared that this notice had been duly, and for the
required period publicly, posted. The Stockingtonians protested by their
able lawyer Daredeville, against any order for the closing of these
ancient woods--the inestimable property of the public.

"Property of the public!" exclaimed Sir Roger. "Property of the public!"
echoed the multitudinous voices of indignant Bullocksheds, Tenterhooks,
and Ramsbottoms. "Why, sir, do you dispute the right of Sir Roger
Rockville to his own estate?"

"By no means;" replied the undaunted Daredeville; "the estate of
Rockville is unquestionably the property of the honorable baronet, Sir
Roger Rockville; but the roads through it are the as unquestionable
Property of the public."

The whole bench looked at itself; that is, at each other, in wrathful
astonishment. The swelling in the diaphragms of the squires Otterbrook,
Turnbull, and Swagsides, and all the rest of the worshipful row, was too
big to admit of utterance. Only Sir Roger himself burst forth with an
abrupt--

"Impudent fellows! But I'll see them ---- first!"

"Grant the order!" said Sir Benjamin Bullockshed; and the whole bench
nodded assent. The able lawyer Daredeville retired with a pleasant smile.
He saw an agreeable prospect of plenty of grist to his mill. Sir Roger
was rich, and so was Great Stockington. He rubbed his hands, not in the
least like a man defeated, and thought to himself, "Let them go at
it--all right."

The next day the placards on the Rockville estate were changed for others
Bearing "STOPPED BY ORDER OF SESSIONS!" and alongside of them were huge
carefully painted boards, denouncing on all trespassers prosecutions
according to law. The same evening came a prodigious invasion of
Stockingtonians--tore all the boards and placards down, and carried them
on their shoulders to Great Stockington, singing as they went, "See, the
Conquering Heroes come!" They set them up in the center of Stockington
market-place, and burnt them, along with an effigy of Sir Roger
Rockville.

That was grist at once to the mill