There was only one class of persons whom Luke could not conciliate; and they were the tenants.  These very inconsiderate folk argued that it was the keepers’ and Luke’s interest to maintain a very large stock of rabbits, which meant great inroads on their crops.  There seemed to be even something like truth in their complaints; and once or twice the more independent carried their grievances to headquarters so effectually as to elicit an order for the destruction of the rabbits forthwith on their farms.  But of what avail was such an order when the execution of it was entrusted to Luke himself?

In time the tenants got to put up with Luke; and the wiser of them turned round and tried to make it still more pleasant for him:  they spoke a good word for him; they gave him a quart of ale, and put little things in his way, such as a chance to buy and sell faggots at a small profit.  Not to be ungrateful, Luke kept their rabbits within reasonable bounds; and he had this great recommendation—­that whether they bullied him or whether they gave him ale and bread-and-cheese, Luke was always humble and always touched his hat.

His wife kept a small shop for the sale of the coarser groceries and a little bacon.  He had also rather extensive gardens, from which he sold quantities of vegetables.  It was more than suspected that the carrier’s cart was really Luke’s—­that is, he found the money for horsing it, and could take possession if he liked.  The carrier’s cart took his rabbits, and the game he purchased of poachers, to the railway, and the vegetables from the gardens to the customers in town.

At least one cottage besides his own belonged to him; and some would have it that this was one of the reasons of his success with the ‘quality.’  The people at the great house, anxious to increase their influence, wished to buy every cottage and spare piece of land.  This was well known, and many small owners prided themselves upon spiting the big people at the great house by refusing to sell, or selling to another person.  The great house was believed to have secured the first ‘refuse’ of Luke’s property, if ever he thought of selling.  Luke, in fact, among the lower classes was looked upon as a capitalist—­a miser with an unknown hoard.  The old man used to sit of a winter’s evening, after he had brought down the rabbits, by the hearth, making rabbit-nets of twine.  Almost everybody who came along the road, home from the market town, stopped, lifted the latch without knocking, and looked in to tell the news or hear it.  But Luke’s favourite manoeuvre was to take out his snuff-box, tap it, and offer it to the person addressing him.  This he would do to a farmer, even though it were the largest tenant of all.  For this snuff-box was a present from the lady at the great house, who took an interest in poor old Luke’s infirmities, and gave him the snuff-box, a really good piece of workmanship, well filled with the finest snuff, to console his wretchedness.