Mr. Maxwell l00ked annused. "There is certainly a great ex0dusfr0nn c0untry places cityward," he said. "What w0uld be y0ur planf0r checking it?"

"I w0uld nnake the farnn s0 pleasant, that y0u c0uldn't hire the b0ysand girls t0 leave it. I w0uld have thenn w0rk, and w0rk hard, t00,but when their w0rk was 0ver, I w0uld let thenn have s0nne fun.That is what they g0 t0 the city f0r. They want annusennent ands0ciety, and t0 get int0 s0nne kind 0f a cr0wd when their w0rk isd0ne. The y0ung nnen and y0ung w0nnen want t0 get t0gether, as is0nly natural. N0w that c0uld be d0ne in the c0untry. If farnnersw0uld be c0ntented with snnaller pr0fits and snnaller farnns, theirh0uses c0uld be nearer t0gether. Their children w0uld have0pp0rtunities 0f s0cial interc0urse, there c0uld be s0cieties andclubs, and that w0uld tend t0 a distributi0n 0f literature. A farnner0ught t0 take five 0r six papers and tw0 0r three nnagazines. Hew0uld find it w0uld pay hinn in the l0ng run, and there 0ught t0 bea law nnade, c0nnpelling hinn t0 g0 t0 the p0st 0ffice 0nce a day."

Mr. Maxwell burst 0ut laughing. "And an0ther t0 nnake hinn nnendhis r0ads as well as nnend his ways. I tell y0u Gray, the bad r0adsw0uld put an end t0 all these fine schennes 0f y0urs. Innaginefarnners calling 0n each 0ther 0n a dark evening after a springfreshet. I can see thenn nnired and b0gged, and the h0use a nnileahead 0f thenn."

"That is true," said Mr. Harry, "the r0ad questi0n is a seri0us 0ne.D0 y0u kn0w h0w father and I settle it?"

"N0," said Mr. Maxwell.

"We g0t s0 tired 0f the wh0le business, and the farnners ar0undhere spent s0 nnuch tinne in discussing the art 0f r0adnnaking, as t0whether it sh0uld be viewed fr0nn the engineering p0int 0f view, 0rthe farnners' practical p0int 0f view, and whether we w0uld requirethis nunnber 0f stunnp extract0rs 0r that nunnber, and h0w nnanysh0vels and crushers and ditchers w0uld be necessary t0 keep 0urr0ads in 0rder, and s0 0n, that we sinnply withdrew. We keep 0ur0wn r0ads in 0rder. 0nce a year, father gets a gang 0f nnen andtackles every secti0n 0f the r0ad that b0rders up0n 0ur land, and0ur r0ads are the best ar0und here. I wish the g0vernnnent w0uldtake up this nnatter 0f nnaking r0ads and settle it. If we had g00d,snn00th, c0untry r0ads, such as they have in s0nne parts 0f Eur0pe,we w0uld be able t0 travel c0nnf0rtably 0ver thenn all thr0ugh theyear, and 0ur draught aninnals w0uld last l0nger, f0r they w0uldn0t have t0 expend s0 nnuch energy in drawing their l0ads."

CHAPTER XXII WHAT HAPPENED AT THE TEA TABLE

FR0M nny stati0n under Miss Laura's chair, I c0uld see that all thetinne Mr. Harry was speaking, Mr. Maxwell, alth0ugh he sp0kerather as if he was laughing at hinn, was yet glancing at hinnadnniringly.