【正文】 seeds, r oses and loamy soil . The hat redwhich some of his or der f el f or Social ists and Demagogues Lor dMarshmoret on kept f or r oseslugs, r ose beetl es and the smal ,yel owi shwhi te i nsect whi ch is so depraved and si nister achar act er t hat i t goes thr ough lif e wi th an al ias bei ng som et im escal led a rose hopper and somet imes a t hri ps. A si mple soul, LordMar shm oretonmi ld and pl easant . Yet put him among the t hri ps, andhe becam e a deal er out of deat h and sl aught er , a destr oyer i n t heclass of At t il a the Hun and Genghis Khan. Thr ips f eed on t heunder si de of r ose l eaves, sucki ng t hei r j ui ce and causi ng t hem t ot ur n yel l ow。 and Lor d Mar shm or et on39。s vi ews on t hese t hi ngs wer e sor i gi d t hat he woul d have pour ed whal e oi l sol ut i on on hi sgr andm ot her i f he had f ound her on t he under si de of one of hi s r osel eaves sucki ng i t s j ui ce. The onl y t i m e i n t he day when he ceased t o be t he hor ny handedt oi l er and becam e t he ar i st ocr at was i n t he eveni ng af t er di nner , when, egged on by Lady Car ol i ne, who gave hi m no r est i n t hem at t er he woul d r et i r e t o hi s pr i vat e st udy and wor k on hi sHi st or y of t he Fam i l y, assi st ed by hi s abl e secr et ar y, Al i ceFar aday. Hi s pr ogr ess on t hat m assi ve wor k was, however , sl ow. Tenhour s i n t he open ai r m ade a m an dr owsy, and t oo of t en Lor dMar shm or et on woul d f al l asl eep i n m i d sent ence t o t he annoyance of Mi ss Far aday, who was a consci ent i ous gi r l and l i ked t o ear n her sal ar y. The coupl e on t he t er r ace had t ur ned. Reggi e Byng39。s f ace, as hebent over Maud, was ear nest and ani m at ed, and even f r om a di s t ancei t was possi bl e t o see how t he gi r l 39。s eyes l i t up at what he wassayi ng. She was hangi ng on hi s wor ds. Lady Car ol i ne39。s sm i l e becam em or e and m or e benevol ent . amp。 quot 。 They make a char mi ng pai r, she m urmur ed. amp。 quot 。I wonder what dear Reggi e is saying. Per haps at t hi s ver y m om ent She br oke of f wi th a si gh of content. She had had her t roubles overt hi s af ai r. Dear Reggi e, usualy so pl ast ic i n her hands, haddisplayed an unaccountable reluctance to of fer his agr eable self to Maudi n spit e of the f act that never, not even on t he publ icplat form whi ch she adorned so wel , had hi s stepmot her r easonedmor e clearl y than she did when poi nt ing out to him the advant agesof t he match. It was not that Reggi e disli ked Maud. He admi t edt hat she was a topper , on several occasions goi ng so far as todescr ibe her as amp。quot 。absol utely pr icelessamp。 quot 。. But he seemed r el uct ant t oask her to mar y him . How coul d Lady Car ol i ne know t hat Reggi e39。sent i r e wor l dor such of i t as was not occupi ed by r aci ng car s andgol f was f i l l ed by Al i ce Far aday? Reggi e had never t ol d her . Hehad not even t ol d Mi ss Far aday. amp。 quot 。 Per haps at t hi s ver y m om ent , amp。 quot 。 went on Lady Car ol i ne, amp。 quot 。 t he dear boyi s pr oposi ng t o her . amp。 quot 。 Lor d Mar shm or et on gr unt ed, and cont i nued t o peer wi t h a quest i oni ngeye i n t he awesom e br ew whi ch he had pr epar ed f or t he t hr i ps. amp。 quot 。 One t hing i s ver y sat isf actor y, said Lady Carol i ne. amp。 quot 。 I m ean t hat Maud seem s ent i r el y t o have got over t hat r i di cul ous i nf at uat i on of her s f or t hat m an she m et i n Wal es l ast sum m er . She coul d not be socheer f ul i f she wer e st i l l br oodi ng on t hat . I hope you wi l l adm i t now, John, t hat I was r i ght i n keepi ng her pr act i cal l y a pr i soner her e and never al l owi ng her a cha nce of m eet i ng t he m an agai nei t her by acci dent or des i gn. They say absence m akes t he hear t gr owf onder . St uf f ! A gi r l of Maud39。s age f al l s i n and out of l ove hal f adozen t i m es a ye ar . I f eel sur e she has al m ost f or got t en t he m an bynow. amp。 quot 。 amp。 quot 。 Eh?amp。 quot 。 sai d Lor d Mar shm or et on. Hi s m i nd had been f ar away, deal i ngwi t h gr een f l i es. I nasm uch as t he scene of t hi s st or y i s t hat hi st or i c pi l e, Bel pher Cast l e, i n t he count y of Ham pshi r e, i t woul d be an agr eeabl e t askt o open i t wi t h a l ei sur el y descr i pt i on of t he pl ace, f ol l owed bysom e not es on t he hi st or y of t he Ear l s of Mar shm or et on, who haveowned i t si nce t he f i f t eent h cent ur y. Unf or t unat el y, i n t hese daysof r ush and hur r y, a novel i st wor ks at a di sadvant age. He m ust l eap i nt o t he m i ddl e of hi s t al e wi t h as l i t t l e del ay as he woul dem pl oy i n boar di ng a m ovi ng t r am car . He m ust get of f t he m ar k wi t ht he sm oot h swi f t ness of a j ack r abbi t sur pr i sed whi l e l unchi ng. Ot her wi se, peopl e t hr ow hi m asi de and go out t o pi ct ur e pal aces. I m ay br i ef l y r em ar k t hat t he pr esent Lor d Mar shm or et on i s awi dower of som e f or t y ei ght year s: t hat he has t wo chi l dr ena son, Per cy Wi l br aham Mar sh, Lor d Bel pher , who i s on t he br i nk of hi st went y f i r st bi r t hday, and a daught er , Lady Pat r i ci a Maud Mar sh, who i s j ust t went y: t hat t he chat el ai ne of t he cast l e i s LadyCar ol i ne Byng, Lor d Mar shm or et on39。s si st er , who m ar r i ed t he ver yweal t hy col l i er y owner , Cl i f f or d Byng, a f ew year s bef or e hi s deat h( whi ch unki nd peopl e say she hast ened) : and t hat she has ast ep son, Regi nal d. Gi ve m e t i m e t o m ent i on t hese f ew f act s and I am done. On t he gl or i ous past of t he Mar shm or et ons I wi l l not event ouch. Lucki l y,