"Yes," said the Colonel grimly, "we are almost of an age--good-night."

Ida watched the door close and then leant her arm on the mantelpiece,
and reflected that she liked Colonel Quaritch very much, so much that
even his not very beautiful physiognomy did not repel her, indeed
rather attracted her than otherwise.

"Do you know," she said to herself, "I think that is the sort of man I
should like to marry. Nonsense," she added, with an impatient shrug,
"nonsense, you are nearly six-and-twenty, altogether too old for that
sort of thing. And now there is this new trouble about the Moat Farm.
My poor old father! Well, it is a hard world, and I think that sleep
is about the best thing in it."

And with a sigh she lighted her candle to go to bed, then changed her
mind and sat down to await her father's return.



CHAPTER V

THE SQUIRE EXPLAINS THE POSITION

"I don't know what is coming to this country, I really don't; and
that's a fact," said the Squire to his companion, after they had
walked some paces in silence. "Here is the farm, the Moat Farm. It
fetched twenty-five shillings an acre when I was a young man, and
eight years ago it used to fetch thirty-five. Now I have reduced it
and reduced it to fifteen, just in order to keep the tenant. And what