Everything they said or did was said and done with a view to conciliate people who might have direct or indirect influence in the country.

In these matters, ladies of position still retain considerable power in their hands.

The young squire and his wife put themselves to immense trouble to get the good-will of such persons, and being of engaging manners they in time succeeded.

This was not effected at once, but three or four years are a very short time in which to develop personal influence, and their success within so brief a period argues considerable skill.
At home again in the autumn the same efforts were diligently continued.
The mansion itself was but of moderate size and by no means convenient, but the squire's lady transformed it from a gaunt, commonplace country house into an elegant and charming residence.

This she contrived without great expense by the exercise of good taste and a gift of discriminating between what was and what was not.