COL. ANSTRUTHER THOMSON 317 



become Lord O.'s property, and which I believe he 

 very much regrets ever having become possessed 

 of. He bids me say that such as the house is you are 

 welcome to make use of it. He has never been 

 inside it, and knows not how much or how little it 

 may require doing to. 



" That he is not prepared to lay out money upon 

 it, but that as long as you choose to live in it you 

 are welcome to do so, and that he will require nothing 

 but a nominal rent. If you go to see Mr. Beasley, 

 I am sure he will be ready to do all in his power to 

 assist you. 



" Yours very truly, 



" R. LLOYD LINDSAY." 



Mr. Beasley was very obliging. The rent was 

 fixed at ^30 per annum, and the field 12. The 

 field contained many splendid walnut trees. 



The house was a hideous, square place, with no 

 ornament, and very inconvenient. On one side, 

 about thirty yards off, was a brew-house ; on the 

 other side, a stable for four horses, and rooms above 

 it. I made the brew-house into four rooms for the 

 boys and their tutor, Mr. Parker, and a school-room, 

 and joined it to the house by a covered passage. I 

 spent about ^300 on the place. I only occupied it 

 two years. It was about one and a half mile from 

 Brixworth by road, and there was a shorter way by 

 footpath, and continually we were at cross purposes, 

 a message coming from the kennel by the footpath 

 while I had sent one by the road. 



