Mr.Gray's desires were bounded by that object.

Mr.Horner looked farther on: he hoped for a day-school at some future time, to train up intelligent labourers for working on the estate.

My lady would hear of neither one nor the other: indeed, not the boldest man whom she ever saw would have dared to name the project of a day-school within her hearing.
So Mr.Horner contented himself with quietly teaching a sharp, clever lad to read and write, with a view to making use of him as a kind of foreman in process of time.

He had his pick of the farm-lads for this purpose; and, as the brightest and sharpest, although by far the raggedest and dirtiest, singled out Job Gregson's son.

But all this--as my lady never listened to gossip, or indeed, was spoken to unless she spoke first--was quite unknown to her, until the unlucky incident took place which I am going to relate..