The compass of the estate was half an acre, and perhaps a perch or two, just the size for the hugging love General Ople was happiest in giving.  He wisely decided to retain the old couple at the lodge, whose members were used to restriction, and also not to purchase a cow, that would have wanted pasture.  With the old man, while the old woman attended to the bell at the handsome front entrance with its gilt-spiked gates, he undertook to do the gardening; a business he delighted in, so long as he could perform it in a gentlemanly manner, that is to say, so long as he was not overlooked.  He was perfectly concealed from the road.  Only one house, and curiously indeed, only one window of the house, and further to show the protection extended to Douro Lodge, that window an attic, overlooked him.  And the house was empty.

The house (for who can hope, and who should desire a commodious house, with conservatories, aviaries, pond and boat-shed, and other joys of wealth, to remain unoccupied) was taken two seasons later by a lady, of whom Fame, rolling like a dust-cloud from the place she had left, reported that she was eccentric.  The word is uninstructive:  it does not frighten.  In a lady of a certain age, it is rather a characteristic of aristocracy in retirement.  And at least it implies wealth.

General Ople was very anxious to see her.  He had the sentiment of humble respectfulness toward aristocracy, and there was that in riches which aroused his admiration.  London, for instance, he was not afraid to say he thought the wonder of the world.  He remarked, in addition, that the sacking of London would suffice to make every common soldier of the foreign army of occupation an independent gentleman for the term of his natural days.  But this is a nightmare! said he, startling himself with an abhorrent dream of envy of those enriched invading officers:  for Booty is the one lovely thing which the military mind can contemplate in the abstract.  His habit was to go off in an explosion of heavy sighs when he had delivered himself so far, like a man at war with himself.

The lady arrived in time:  she received the cards of the neighbourhood, and signalized her eccentricity by paying no attention to them, excepting the card of a Mrs. Baerens, who had audience of her at once.  By express arrangement, the card of General Wilson Ople, as her nearest neighbour, followed the card of the rector, the social head of the district; and the rector was granted an interview, but Lady Camper was not at home to General Ople.  She is of superior station to me, and may not wish to associate with me, the General modestly said.  Nevertheless he was wounded:  for in spite of himself, and without the slightest wish to obtrude his own person, as he explained the meaning that he had in him, his rank in the British army forced him to be the representative of it, in the absence of any one of a superior rank.  So that he was professionally hurt, and his heart