46 WOODLAND, MOOR, AND STREAM 



in it of a mornin', right from the top to the bottom. 

 They did keep a lot o' folks round about 'em, of one 

 sort or another ; it was a fust-rate place to go to. I 

 reck'lect goin' there as a youngster an errand for 

 some one, an', as I come away, the butler he sings 

 out to me, " Young man, have you had your ale and 

 somethin' to eat ?" " No, sir," says I, " my job didn't 

 take me a minit, an' I never give a thought about 

 anythin' like that." " Come into the kitchen," he sez, 

 " and make the buttons of your weskit tight. Why, 

 man alive, you would bring disgrace on the house if 

 you left it without refreshment" Ay, it was a sight 

 to see the carriages with their lamps lighted come up 

 and down they limes when they'd one o' their gran' 

 dinner parties on. The castle it was always called, I 

 dun know why. There was sore hearts about, I can 

 tell ye, when they gentry went away, and the old 

 squire what bought all this land round about give the 

 order to pull it down ; for they was good to all the 

 poor roun'. No one 'd think it was done in my time 

 for to look at it now, covered with ivy, and the trees 

 that have shot up all about it. The order was giv' 

 to pull it down to the first floor, and then leave it. 

 Folks said he done it because he couldn't abide a 

 place like that near his own house ; for the castle, 

 mind ye, was a fine place. Anyway, he giv' the 



