Churchyard Pheasants 1 43 



tenants. There was an income from what had pre- 

 viously been profitless. Under this shrewd manage- 

 ment the estate was fast recovering. 



At the same time the whole parish groaned in 

 spirit. The farmers grumbled at the moral pressure 

 which forced them to progress in spite of themselves. 

 They grumbled at the strange people who took up 

 their residence in their midst and suddenly claimed 

 all the loyalty which was the due of the old family. 

 These people hunted over their fields, jumped over the 

 hedges, glanced at them superciliously, and seemed 

 astonished if every hat was not raised when they came 

 in sight. The farmers felt that they were regarded 

 as ignorant barbarians, and resented the town-bred 

 insolence of people who aped the country gentleman. 



They grumbled about the over-preservation of 

 game, and they grumbled about the rabbits. The 

 hunt had its grumble too because some of the finest 

 coverts were closed to the hounds, and because they 

 wanted to know what became of the foxes that 

 formerly lived in those coverts. Here was a beauti- 

 ful place a place that one might dream life away in 

 filled with all manner of discontent 



Everything was done with the best intention. 

 But the keystone was wanting the landlord, the 

 master, who had grown up in the traditions of the 



