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The Jervaise Comedy by J. D. (John Davys) Beresford
page 85 of 264 (32%)
twittering with the excitement of their coming excursion. In the
North-East the gray wall of mist was losing the hardness of its edge, and
behind the cloud the sky was bleaching to an ever paler blue.

"And yet," I said, as my companion paused, "the Jervaises aren't anything
particular as a family. They haven't done anything, even in the usual way,
to earn ennoblement or fame."

"They've squatted," Banks said, "that's what they've done. Set themselves
down here in the reign of Henry II., and sat tight ever since--grabbing
commons and so on, now and again, in the usual way, of course. The village
is called after them, Thorp-Jervaise, and the woods and the hills, and
half the labourers in the neighbourhood have got names like Jarvey and
Jarvis. What I mean is that the Jervaises mayn't be of any account in
London, or even in the county, alongside of families like Lord
Garthorne's; but just round here they're the owners and always have been
since there have been any private owners. Their word's law. If you don't
like it, you can get out, and that's all there is about it." He gazed
thoughtfully in front of him and thrust out his lower lip. "I've got to
get out," he added, "unless..."

I hesitated to prompt him, fearing the possibly inquisitive sound of the
most indirect question, and after what I felt was a very pregnant silence,
he continued rather in the manner of one allusively submitting a case.

"But you get to a point where you feel as if no game's worth winning if
you can't play it fair and open."

"So long as the other side play fair with you," I commented.

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