He glories in the fact that he was never any good at arithmetic or figures of any kind, and never looked at either after "Smalls." The estate of course used to be looked after in the good old-fashioned way by the family lawyers.

But a few years ago the Squire quarrelled with these gentlemen, recovered all his papers, which no doubt went back to King Alfred, and resolved to deal with things himself.

There is an office here, and a small attorney from Fallerton comes over twice or three times a week.
But the Squire bosses it.

And you never saw anything like his accounts! I have been trying to put some of them straight--just those that concern the house and garden--after six weeks' acquaintance! Odd, isn't it?
He is like an irritable child with them.

And his agent, who is seventy, and bronchitic, is the greatest fool I ever saw.