A deeper silence followed and then said the Mayor with a certain gruff abruptness which was a partial return to the old manner, "I'm thinking it'll be a good thing for Melia to quit Love Lane. She's not done so bad with the business lately, but it might be wise to sell it now. And she'll be none the worse for a rest in country air. Happen I told you that back in the spring I bought that cottage up at Dibley that that artist chap--I forget his name for the moment--used to come and paint in. Rare situation--sandstone foundation--highest point in the county--see for miles from his studio at the end o' the garden. Don't quite know why I bought it except that it was going cheap. An old property--nobody seemed to fancy it--but the freehold is not going to get less in value if I'm a judge o' such matters and the place is in pretty good condition. Suppose, my boy, you and Melia moved in there? Save me a caretaker, and some o' the finest air in Europe comes down the valley of the Sharrow." The heart of the Corporal leaped at these amazing words, but his eyes were still fixed upon the fire. "What was the name o' that artist chap? A local man, but quite well up, they tell me." "Stanning, R.A." Something hard and queer rose in the Corporal's throat. "That's the jockey--Stanning, R.A. Now I remember ... a rare dust there was in the Council some years ago when the Art Committee bought one of his pictures for...." The Mayor drew heavily at his cigar ... "for ... dram it! I'm losing my memory...." "A thousand guineas," the Corporal whispered. "Something like that. Something extortionate. I remember there was a proper dust when the Council got to know of it. All very well to encourage local talent, I remember saying, but a thousand guineas was money. Maxon the curator resigned." The Corporal kept his eyes on the fire. With a rich chuckle the Mayor turned over the cigar in his mouth at the memory of old battles in the Council Chamber. "The fur flew for a bit, I can tell you. He wasn't an R.A. at that time and the poor chap's gone now so happen he'll begin to rank as an old master. They tell me fabulous sums are paid for these old masters, so one o' these days Stanning, R.A., may grow into money and the City'll have a bargain after all. But I don't pretend to understand such things myself. A brave man, anyway. Joined up with the B.B. at the beginning and was killed out yonder."