"My dear, get all that out of your head. The more you spend the less likely you are to be looked down upon." "It sounds so funny. But it sounds rather nice too. Of course, it isn't really _wrong_ to like spending money, rather, if everybody else does it." "Not a bit. Not if you've got it to spend. And we _shall_ have. I am going to see about that. Well, shall we live in the country?" "That would be rather nice, John. In a dear little house with a pretty garden, and no labour-saving appliances." "I don't think you will want to live in a little house when you get to England. I thought, perhaps, we might find some very delightful old-fashioned country house, in a beautiful part of the country, with a few thousand acres of land, good shooting, and a model home farm, which I could tackle myself." "Do you know anything about farming?" "Not much; but I should rather like to try it." "Isn't it rather dangerous? Mightn't you make a lot of money over it?" "I think I could escape the danger. How would you like an old red-brick house, with a moat, and beautiful carving and plastering and all that sort of thing inside? I know of one near where I was born that we might be able to get." "Is it in a village, with nice people in it?" "It is near a charming village, which would belong to us. There aren't any other big houses very near." "Would the other people call on us, and be friendly?" "Oh, yes. There are a lot of good houses all about. The neighbours would all call on us." "Yes, the rich neighbours. But the people in the village? Would the vicar's wife call on us, if we lived in a house like that?" "I expect she would, if the vicar has a wife, of which I am not sure." "And the labourers' wives--would they call?" "Probably not. No, I don't think the labourers' wives would call." "Then shouldn't we feel rather out of it?" "You could call on them if you wanted to. They would be very pleased to see you. _Any_ body would be pleased to see you." "Dear old boy!" she said affectionately. "You think far too much of me. But I like you to. Somehow I don't think I should like to live in a house like that, John. For one thing, I shouldn't like to be always going to see people who wouldn't come and see me. Couldn't we live somewhere among our own sort of people--the people who are well-off, and _yet_ well-educated, that you told me about--well, like _we_ should be?" "You don't want to live in London, do you?" "That's where you live, isn't it?" "Only because my work makes it convenient." "But you wouldn't give up your work?" "I should give up some of it, that I do at present. I don't say I should give up _all_ work." "Oh no, you couldn't do that." "But I shouldn't have to live in London in order to work. I would much rather live out of it, and have it to go to."