a dowry of many manors.  Her tact smoothed the way everywhere; she made friends for him in all directions, especially perhaps during the London season.  Under the whirl and glitter of that fascinating time there are latent possibilities of important business.  Both Marthorne and his lady had by birth and connections the entree into leading circles; but many who have that entree never attain to more influence in society than the furniture of the drawing-room.

These two never for a moment lost sight of the country while they enjoyed themselves in town.  Everything they said or did was said and done with a view to conciliate people who might have direct or indirect influence in the country.  In these matters, ladies of position still retain considerable power in their hands.  The young squire and his wife put themselves to immense trouble to get the good-will of such persons, and being of engaging manners they in time succeeded.  This was not effected at once, but three or four years are a very short time in which to develop personal influence, and their success within so brief a period argues considerable skill.

At home again in the autumn the same efforts were diligently continued.  The mansion itself was but of moderate size and by no means convenient, but the squire’s lady transformed it from a gaunt, commonplace country house into an elegant and charming residence.  This she contrived without great expense by the exercise of good taste and a gift of discriminating between what was and what was not.  The exterior she left alone—­to alter an exterior costs a heavy sum and often fails.  But the interior she gradually fitted in a novel fettle, almost entirely after her own design.  The gardens, too, under her supervision, became equally inviting.  The house got talked about, and was itself a social success.

On his part, the squire paid as much attention to the estate.  It was not large, far from sufficient of itself, indeed, to support any social or political pretensions without the most rigid economy.  And the pair were rigidly economical.  The lady dressed in the height of the fashion, and drove the most beautiful horses, and yet she never wasted a shilling upon herself.  Her own little private whims and fancies she resolutely refused to gratify.  Every coin was spent where it would produce effect.  In like manner, the squire literally never had half a sovereign in his pocket.  He selected the wines in his cellar with the greatest care, and paid for them prices which the wine merchant, in these days of cheap wines, was unaccustomed to receive from men of thrice his income.  The squire paid for the very best wine, and in private drank a cheap claret.  But his guests, many of them elderly gentlemen, when once they had dined with him never forgot to come again.  His bins became known throughout the county; very influential people indeed spoke of them with affection.  It was in this way that the squire got a high value out of his by no means extensive rents.