of her way round by the creek and
Coed, so that the little tinkling of her own parish church might
not be lost upon her. If this return of hers to the estate was so
important to others as to justify these signs, what must it be to her
and how deep must be the convictions as to her own duties?

At the gate of Coed farmyard the carriage stopped, and the old farmer
came out to say a few words to her.

"God bless you, Miss Isabel; this is a happy sight to see."

"This is so kind of you, Mr Griffith."

"We've had a bad time of it, Miss Isabel;--not that we wished to
quarrel with your dear uncle's judgment, or that we had a right to
say much against the poor gentleman who has gone;--but we expected
you, and it went against the grain with us to have our expectations
disappointed. We shall always look up to you, miss; but, at the same
time, I wish you joy with all my heart of the new landlord you're
going to set over us. Of course that was to be expected, but you'll
be here with us all the time." Isabel, while the tears ran down her
cheeks, could only press the old man's hand at parting.

"Now, my dear," said Mr Apjohn, as they went on to the house, "he has
only said just what we've all been feeling. Of course it has been
stronger with the tenants and servants than with others. But all
round the country it has been the same. A man, if an estate belong
to himself personally, can do what he likes with it, as he can with
the half-crowns in his pocket; but where land is concerned, feelings
grow up which should not be treated rudely. In one sense Llanfeare
belonged to your uncle to do what he liked with it, but in another
sense he shared it only with those around him; and when he was
induced by a theory which he did not himself quite understand to
bring your cousin Henry down among these people, he outraged their
best convictions."

"He meant to do his duty, Mr Apjohn."

"Certainly; but he mistook it. He did not understand the root of that
idea of a male heir. The object has been to keep the old family, and
the old adherences, and the old acres together. England owes much
to the manner in which this has been done, and the custom as to a
male heir has availed much in the doing of it. But in this case, in
sticking to the custom, he would have lost the spirit, and, as far
as he was concerned, would have gone against the practice which he
wished to perpetuate. There, my dear, is a sermon for you, of which,
I dare say, you do no