He did not reply at once, and as they had now reached the rock-garden, and Caroline's next words were about the flowers that were showing their vivid spring colours in the amphitheatre all about them, the conversation was broken off for the time. But it was resumed again a little later, as they stood here and there, or moved slowly up and down the rocky stairs or about the stone paths. "You know, I think we did take it rather as a new toy when we first come down here," Caroline said. "We loved the country, and we wanted a country house of our very own. Of course we've all enjoyed it awfully in that way, but I don't think any of us thought we should live here so much as we have. We've hardly lived in London, all together, since. And we are always wanting to get back here when we do." "Mr. Grafton doesn't take such an interest in the estate as Sir Alexander does in Wilborough?" he said. She laughed. "Darling old Dad!" she said. "It is rather a bore to him. He works when he is in London, and likes to play down here, and leave the work to you and Uncle Jimmy. But he's a good Squire all the same, isn't he? He gives you everything you ask for." "Oh, yes. There's never any trouble about money to run the show as it ought to be run. I only meant he didn't take much interest in details." "I don't suppose people at the head of a big business generally do, do they? They leave the details to the people they can trust. Dad wouldn't take much interest in the details of his banking." "Oh, well, I see what you mean. This isn't his real business as it is Sir Alexander's. Still, there's something I can't get quite right in my mind. It's all so--well, so happy, to me, that I don't like to think there's a flaw anywhere--in the system, I mean. Mr. Grafton pays for it, doesn't he? He makes his money somewhere else. He bought the estate, but it can't return him much on his capital--certainly not enough to live on in the way you do." "No, but why should it? We get all the fun of it extra. I suppose you may say Dad pays for that. It returns enough to run itself, though. I suppose you and Uncle Jimmy see to that." "Oh, yes. It keeps us going, too. And everything is run as it ought to be. All the farms are let, and everybody is contented,--or ought to be. Everybody is getting a living, anyhow, out of the land." "I love to think of people getting a living out of the land." His eyes shone as he turned his face quickly to her. "Do you feel like that about it, too?" he asked. "So do I. It fills me with pleasure. I like to think of everything that's growing on the land, and every little thing that's done to make it grow, and the men who do it all; and some of them get so wise, always living and working on it, that you would never learn all they know if you read about it till the end of your life."