"Socialism!" he chuckled, "a brand new, highly original conception
of that very elastic term. I asked Alex to explain the principles
of this particular organization and she was very voluble and
rather cryptic. It appears to embrace the rights of man, the
elevation of the masses, the relations between landlord and
tenant, the psychological deterioration of the idle rich--"

"Alex and psychology--good heavens!" interposed Miss Craven, her
hands at her hair, "and the amelioration of the downtrodden poor,"
continued Peters. "It doesn't sound very original, but I'm told
that the propaganda is novel in the extreme. Alex is hard at work
among their own people," he concluded, leaning back in his chair
with a laugh.

"But--the downtrodden poor! I thought Horringford was a model
landlord and his estates an example to the kingdom."

"Precisely. That's the humour of it. But a little detail like that
wouldn't deter Alex. It will be an interest for the summer, she's
always rather at a loose end when there's no hunting. She had
taken up this socialistic business very thoroughly, organizing
meetings and lectures. A completely new scheme for the upbringing
of children seems to be a special sideline of the campaign. I'm
rather vague there--I know I made Alex very angry by telling her
that it reminded me of intensive market gardening. That Alex has
no children of her own presents no difficulty to her--she is full
of the most beautiful theories. But theories don't seem to go down
very well with the village women. She was routed the other day by
the mother of a family who told her bluntly to her face she didn't