“I don’t see that you could do that—­at least, not in your present condition.  There is no farm vacant, and if there were one I must give the late tenant’s son the option of it.  That has always been the rule on the estate.  However, we need not settle on that at present.  When are you going to get married?  I should like it to be at the same time as we are.  I am sure that Miss Greendale would be pleased.  We both owe you a great deal, and, as you know, I regard you as my closest friend.”

“Thank you, Major, but I am sure that neither Anna nor I would care to be married before a church full of grand people, and we have agreed that we won’t do it until after you come back from your trip.  Miss Bertha has promised Anna that she shall go with her as her maid, and of course, Major, I shall want to go with you.”

“Well, you might get married the week before, and still go with us.”

George shook his head.

“I think that it would be better the other way, Major.  We will go with you as we are, and get married after you come back.”

The next day Frank had a long talk with Mr. Norton.

“Well, sir, your plan would suit me very well.  Nothing could be better,” said the old steward.  “In fact, I was going to tell you that I was beginning to find that the outdoor work was getting too much for me, and that though I should be very sorry to give it up altogether, I must either arrange with you to have help, or else find a successor.  I am sure that the arrangement you propose would suit me exactly.

“George Lechmere would be just the man for the work.  We used to think him the best judge of livestock in the county, and he is a good all-round farmer.  If he were to take the work of the home farm off my hands, I could keep on very well with the rest of the estate for another two or three years, and as he would act as my assistant he would, by the end of that time, be quite capable of taking it over altogether.  I should then move into Chippenham.  We have two married daughters living, and now that we have no one at home, my wife has been saying for some time that she would rather settle there than go on living in the country, and there is really no more occasion for me to go on working.  So, as soon as Lechmere has got the whole thing in hand, I shall be quite ready to hand it over to him.”

“Well, I am very glad that it is so, Norton.  Of course, I should never have made any change until you yourself were perfectly willing to give it up, but as you are willing, I am certainly glad to be able to put him into it.  As you know, he saved my life, and has done me many other great services, and I regard him as a friend and want to keep him near me.  Of course, he will go into the farmhouse, and after you retire he can either move into yours, or remain there, as he likes.  Naturally, as long as you live, Norton, I shall continue the rate of pay you have always had.  You were over thirty years with my father, and I should certainly make no difference in that respect.”