"No, I never taste it."
"No?—for I was going to observe that a young man should act like a young housekeeper—lay in his friends as the other does his cellar; and always keep up the stock—particularly pleasant men and port-wine. They improve"——
"My stock is certainly very limited," I said.
"You should enlarge it at once. By the by, there are a great many new residents in this parish since I was inducted."
"So I believe."
"Ah, just so!—never called on them, of course—By the by, will you have any lunch?"
"No, I thank you. I have never called on any of the new-comers. I don't even know their names."
"That's odd! But it isn't of so much consequence now, for they are all getting bought out. By the by, would you like to see the repairs in the chancel?"
"No, I thank you. Are they getting bought out?"
"Not a doubt of it. All the old farms and manor-houses, which had been converted into comfortable modern dwelling-houses by the different proprietors, are nearly all in one owner's hands again—as they used to be, in ancient times, in your ancestors' hands. The whole estate nearly is reunited, and the purchaser is restoring things as much as he can to their ancient condition. He gave Mr Juffles thirty thousand pounds for the Grange about six months ago; and all the Juffles family is to be off in six weeks. By the by, you are not acquainted with the Juffleses?—they haven't been here more than five years."