Just as he was the one personality of the little town against whom practically nothing was ever, said, so was his house the one house which defied criticism.  Time had made it utterly suitable.  The ivied walls, and purplish roof lichened yellow in places, the quiet meadows harbouring ponies and kine, reaching from it to the sea—­all was mellow.  In truth it made all the other houses of the town seem shoddy—­standing alone beyond them, like its, master, if anything a little too esthetically remote from common wants.

He had practically no near neighbours of whom he saw anything, except once in a way young Harbinger three miles distant at Whitewater.  But since he had the faculty of not being bored with his own society, this did not worry him.  Of local charity, especially to the fishers of the town, whose winter months were nowadays very bare of profit, he was prodigal to the verge of extravagance, for his income was not great.  But in politics, beyond acting as the figure-head of certain municipal efforts, he took little or no part.  His Toryism indeed was of the mild order, that had little belief in the regeneration of the country by any means but those of kindly feeling between the classes.  When asked how that was to be brought about, he would answer with his dry, slightly malicious, suavity, that if you stirred hornets’ nests with sticks the hornets would come forth.  Having no land, he was shy of expressing himself on that vexed question; but if resolutely attacked would give utterance to some such sentiment as this:  “The land’s best in our hands on the whole, but we want fewer dogs-in-the-manger among us.”

He had, as became one of his race, a feeling for land, tender and protective, and could not bear to think of its being put out to farm with that cold Mother, the State.  He was ironical over the views of Radicals or Socialists, but disliked to hear such people personally abused behind their backs.  It must be confessed, however, that if contradicted he increased considerably the ironical decision of his sentiments.  Withdrawn from all chance in public life of enforcing his views on others, the natural aristocrat within him was forced to find some expression.

Each year, towards the end of July, he placed his house at the service of Lord Valleys, who found it a convenient centre for attending Goodwood.

It was on the morning after the Duchess of Gloucester’s Ball, that he received this note: 

“Valleyshouse. 
“Dearest uncle Dennis,

“May I come down to you a little before time and rest?  London is so terribly hot.  Mother has three functions still to stay for, and I shall have to come back again for our last evening, the political one—­so I don’t want to go all the way to Monkland; and anywhere else, except with you, would be rackety.  Eustace looks so seedy.  I’ll try and bring him, if I may.  Granny is terribly well.