“Well, George, I have arranged your business,” Frank said that evening.  “Norton is getting on in life now, and he begins to find his work in winter a little too hard for him, so I have arranged that you are to take the management of the home farm altogether off his hands, and will, of course, establish yourself at the house.  You will be a sort of assistant to him in other matters, and get up the work, and in the course of a couple of years, at the outside, he will retire altogether, and you will be steward.  If you like you can work the home farm on your own account, but that will be for your consideration.  How do you think that you will like that?”

“I should like it above everything, Major, and I am grateful to you, indeed.”

“Well, I am glad that you like the arrangement, George.  I had it in my mind when I was talking to you two days ago, but until I saw Norton, and found that he was willing to retire, I did not propose it.”

Towards the end of February, Lady Greendale and Bertha went up to town for a fortnight, intimating to Frank that they would be so busy with important business that his presence there would not be desired.  He, however, travelled with them to London, and then went round to Southampton, where he had a consultation with the firm in whose yard the yacht was laid up, and the head of the great upholstering firm there, and arranged for material alterations in the plans of the cabins, and their redecoration.  Everything was to be completed by the beginning of April.  He had written to Hawkins to meet him on board.

“You must have everything ready by the fifth,” he said.  “We shall arrive late in the afternoon, or perhaps in the evening of the fifth, and shall get under way next morning.  I hope that you have been able to get the same crew.”

“There is no fear of their not all coming, sir, except Purvis.  He has been bad all the winter, and I doubt whether he will be able to go with us.”

“I am sorry to hear that.  Tell him that I shall make him an allowance of a pound a week for the season, and that I shall give him a little pension, of ten shillings a week, as long as he lives.  I shall consider that all who went with me on that cruise to the West Indies have a claim upon me.”

The time for the wedding approached.  There was some consultation, between Frank and Lady Greendale, as to whether the dinner to the tenants should be given on that occasion, or on their return; and it was settled that it would be more convenient to postpone it.

“I am sure they would rather have you and Bertha here, and it would be much more convenient in every way.  We have so much to think about now, and there will be so many arrangements to be made.”

“I quite agree with you.  I will put it all in the hands of Rafters, of Chippenham.  I think that it is only right to give it to local people.  We shall want two big marquees, one for your tenants and mine and their wives and families, and the other for all the labourers and farm servants.”