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It was a meeting-ground of many races, one of the market-places where men may greet each other who come from different hemispheres and yet owe allegiance to one flag: are sons of the empire which to-day gathers within one ring-fence the north, the south, the east, and the west.
"I daresay it will, uncle," replied William, tapping his foot, as he lounged in a green morocco easy-chair; "and so, because you have set your fancy upon having these two estates enclosed together in a ring-fence, you wish that I should be also enclosed in a ring-fence." "And a beautiful property it will be," replied Mr. Ponsonby. "Which, uncle? the estate or the wife?"
I will, however, one of these days ride over the property with you, which, as well as Miss Percival, I have not as yet seen." "Then I can tell you she is a very pretty property." "If she were not in a ring-fence." "In good heart, William. That is, I mean an excellent disposition." "Valuable in matrimony."
That can only be done by one of our family marrying Miss Percival; and as you will not, I shall now write to your cousin James, and if he accept my proposal, shall make him my heir. Probably he will more fully appreciate the advantages of five thousand acres in a ring-fence. "And Mr Ponsonby directed his steps towards the door.
"I have had one to-day," thought William, and was almost at fault. "I shall be most thankful, sir they sell horseflesh by the ounce nowadays." "And you pay in pounds. There, William." "Thank you, sir, I'm all obedience; and I'll keep my word, even if there should be a comet. I'll go and buy the horse, and then I shall be ready to take the ring-fence as soon as you please."
Then we shall have our own again, and the property without encumbrance. "`Without encumbrance, uncle! You forget that, there will be a wife. "`And you forget that there will be five thousand acres in a ring-fence. "`Indeed, uncle, you ring it too often in my ears that I should forget it.
Then we shall have our own again, and the property without encumbrance. "'Without encumbrance, uncle! You forget that there will be a wife. "'And you forget that there will be five thousand acres in a ring-fence.
He replaced tumble-down old farm buildings with new constructions on the most approved principles; bought or pensioned off certain slovenly incompetent tenants; threw sundry petty holdings into large farms suited to the buildings he constructed; purchased here and there small bits of land, commodious to the farms they adjoined, and completing the integrity of his ring-fence; stubbed up profitless woods which diminished the value of neighbouring arables by obstructing sun and air and harbouring legions of rabbits; and then, seeking tenants of enterprise and capital, more than doubled his original yearly rental, and perhaps more than tripled the market value of his property.
We toured all round India with the Meadowcrofts; and really the lady who was "so very exclusive" turned out not a bad little thing, when once one had succeeded in breaking through the ring-fence with which she surrounded herself.
Ponsonby, stopping, and turning to his nephew, after a rapid walk up and down the room with his hands behind him under his coat, so as to allow the tails to drop their perpendicular about three inches clear of his body, "I may say, without contradiction, be the finest property in the county five thousand acres in a ring-fence."
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