CHAPTER XXV

alltherest.” “Bertram,”saidCrawford,sometimeafterwards,takingtheopportunityofalittlelanguorinthegame,“Ihavenevertoldyouwhathappenedtomeyesterdayinmyridehome.”Theyhadbeenhuntingtogether,andwereinthemidstofagoodrun,andatsomedistancefromMansfield,whenhishorsebeingfoundtohaveflungashoe,HenryCrawfordhadbeenobligedtogiveup,andmakethebestofhiswayback.“ItoldyouIlostmywayafterpassingthatoldfarmhousewiththeyew-trees,becauseIcanneverbeartoaskbutIhavenottoldyouthat,withmyusualluck—forIneverdowrongwithoutgainingbyit—IfoundmyselfinduetimeintheveryplacewhichIhadacuriositytosee.Iwassuddenly,uponturningthecornerofasteepishdownyfield,inthemidstofaretiredlittlevillagebetweengentlyrisinghillsasmallstreambeforemetobeforded,achurchstandingonasortofknolltomyright—whichchurchwasstrikinglylargeandhandsomefortheplace,andnotagentlemanorhalfagentleman’shousetobeseenexceptingone—tobepresumedtheParsonage—withinastone’sthrowofthesaidknollandchurch.Ifoundmyself,inshort,inThorntonLacey.” “Itsoundslikeit,”saidEdmund“butwhichwaydidyouturnafterpassingSewell’sfarm?” “IanswernosuchirrelevantandinsidiousquestionsthoughwereItoanswerallthatyoucouldputinthecourseofanhour,youwouldneverbeabletoprovethatitwasnotThorntonLacey—forsuchitcertainlywas.” “Youinquired,then?” “No,Ineverinquire.ButItoldamanmendingahedgethatitwasThorntonLacey,andheagreedtoit.” “Youhaveagoodmemory.Ihadforgottenhavingevertoldyouhalfsomuchoftheplace.” ThorntonLaceywasthenameofhisimpendingliving,asMissCrawfordwellknewandherinterestinanegotiationforWilliamPrice’sknaveincreased. “Well,”continuedEdmund,“andhowdidyoulikewhatyousaw?” “Verymuchindeed.Youarealuckyfellow.Therewillbeworkforfivesummersatleastbeforetheplaceisliveable.” “No,no,notsobadasthat.Thefarmyardmustbemoved,IgrantyoubutIamnotawareofanythingelse.Thehouseisbynomeansbad,andwhentheyardisremoved,theremaybeaverytolerableapproachtoit.” “Thefarmyardmustbeclearedawayentirely,andplanteduptoshutouttheblacksmith’sshop.Thehousemustbeturnedtofronttheeastinsteadofthenorth—theentranceandprincipalrooms,Imean,mustbeonthatside,wheretheviewisreallyveryprettyIamsureitmaybedone.Andtheremustbeyourapproach,throughwhatisatpresentthegarden.Youmustmakeanewgardenatwhatisnowthebackofthehousewhichwillbegivingitthebestaspectintheworld,slopingtothesouth-east.Thegroundseemspreciselyformedforit.Irodefiftyyardsupthelane,betweenthechurchandthehouse,inordertolookaboutmeandsawhowitmightallbe.Nothingcanbeeasier.Themeadowsbeyondwhatwillbethegarden,aswellaswhatnowis,sweepingroundfromthelaneIstoodintothenorth-east,thatis,totheprincipalroadthroughthevillage,mustbealllaidtogether,ofcourseveryprettymeadowstheyare,finelysprinkledwithtimber.Theybelongtotheliving,Isupposeifnot,youmustpurchasethem.Thenthestream—somethingmustbedonewiththestreambutIcouldnotquitedeterminewhat.Ihadtwoorthreeideas.” “AndIhavetwoorthreeideasalso,”saidEdmund,“andoneofthemis,thatverylittleofyourplanforThorntonLaceywilleverbeputinpractice.Imustbesatisfiedwithratherlessornamentandbeauty.Ithinkthehouseandpremisesmaybemadecomfortable,andgiventheairofagentleman’sresidence,withoutanyveryheavyexpense,andthatmustsufficemeand,Ihope,maysufficeallwhocareaboutme.” MissCrawford,alittlesuspiciousandresentfulofacertaintoneofvoice,andacertainhalf-lookattendingthelastexpressionofhishope,madeahastyfinishofherdealingswithWilliamPriceandsecuringhisknaveatanexorbitantrate,exclaimed,“There,Iwillstakemylastlikeawomanofspirit.Nocoldprudenceforme.Iamnotborntositstillanddonothing.IfIlosethegame,itshallnotbefromnotstrivingforit.” Thegamewashers,andonlydidnotpayherforwhatshehadgiventosecureit.Anotherdealproceeded,andCrawfordbeganagainaboutThorntonLacey. “Myplanmaynotbethebestpossible:Ihadnotmanyminutestoformitinbutyoumustdoagooddeal.Theplacedeservesit,andyouwillfindyourselfnotsatisfiedwithmuchlessthanitiscapableof.(Excuseme,yourladyshipmustnotseeyourcards.There,letthemliejustbeforeyou.)Theplacedeservesit,Bertram.Youtalkofgivingittheairofagentleman’sresidence.Thatwillbedonebytheremovalofthefarmyardfor,independentofthatterriblenuisance,Ineversawahouseofthekindwhichhadinitselfsomuchtheairofagentleman’sresidence,somuchthelookofasomethingaboveamereparsonage-house—abovetheexpenditureofafewhundredsayear.Itisnotascramblingcollectionoflowsinglerooms,withasmanyroofsaswindowsitisnotcrampedintothevulgarcompactnessofasquarefarmhouse:itisasolid,roomy,mansion-likelookinghouse,suchasonemightsupp