Page:The Works of H G Wells Volume 5.pdf/212

 valley, even what used to be the river bed before they irrigated, to be under wheat—as it is this year—twenty-five feet high. They used the old-fashioned scythe here twenty years ago, and they would bring home the harvest on a wain—rejoicing—in a simple honest fashion. A little simple drunkenness, a little innocent dalliance perhaps, to conclude Poor dear Lady Wondershoot—she didn't like these innovations. Very conservative, poor dear lady! A touch of the eighteenth century about her, I always said. Her language for example Bluff vigour

"She died comparatively poor. These big weeds got into her garden. She was not one of these gardening women, but she liked her garden in order—things growing where they were planted and as they were planted—under control The way things grew was unexpected—upset her ideas She didn't like the perpetual invasion of this young monster—at least she began to fancy he was always gaping at her over her wall She didn't like his being nearly as high as her house Jarred with her sense of proportion. Poor dear lady! I had hoped she would last my time. It was the big cockchafers we had for a year or so that decided her. They came from the giant larvæ—nasty things as big as rats—in the valley turf

"And the ants no doubt weighed with her also.

"Since everything was upset and there was no peace and quietness anywhere now, she said she thought she might just as well be at Monte Carlo as anywhere else. And she went.

"She played pretty boldly, I'm told. Died in an