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 ft. 

 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 1 ." 



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 scoff. 



Lime was now put on. 



1 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. 



