VI] CHEQUERED CAREER OF THE CLAYS 95 



without, evidently viewing the heresy in a serious 

 light, and myself as a fit subject for an auto da f6. 

 The conclusion of our last skirmish was too good to 

 be lost to posterity. I entered it verbatim in my 

 farm memoranda. 



" *But tell me in earnest. Don't you mean to ridge 

 up that field again ? ' 



"'No.' 



" * What, you mean to lay it Flat ? ' 



«'Yes.' 



" * In the name of Goodness, Why ? * 



" ' Because the name of Goodness — made it so.' 



" If I had suddenly assumed some demoniacal form, 

 and then, leaving a train of smoke and brimstone, 

 vanished, with a clap of thunder, from before the eyes 

 of my catechist, I do not think his face would have 

 assumed a greater expression of resourceless and 

 complete astonishment ^" 



Next, the material thrown out from the drains 

 was put on the surface of the land — an operation 

 that was regarded as the crowning act of folly and 

 brought up the wise men from far and near to look 

 and scofi". 



Lime was now put on. 



^ The "worthy clergyman's astonishment was not wholly unreason- 

 able because in levelling the ridges a considerable amount of very 

 unkindly subsoil must have been exposed, which would only slowly 

 weather down into a decent soil. 



