It was agricultural, of course, and farming about here isn't what is used to be; there's a great deal of grass and not much tillage.

The folk had to look abroad for a living; several of the cottages stood empty; the families that remained were being demoralised by poverty; they wouldn't take the work that offered in the fields, and preferred to scrape up a living in the streets of Hollingford, if they didn't try their hand at a little burglary and so on.

Lady Ogram saw what was going on, and thought it over, and hit upon the idea of the paper-mill.

Of course most of the Shawe cottagers were no good for such employment, but some of the young people got taken on, and there was work in prospect for children growing up, and in any case, the character of the village was saved.
Decent families came to the deserted houses, and things in general looked up." "Extremely interesting," murmured Mr.Gallantry, as though he heard all this for the first time, and was deeply impressed by it.
"Very interesting indeed," said Lashmar, with his frankest air.

"I hope I may be allowed to go over the mill; I should like nothing better." "You shall go over it as often as you like," said Lady Ogram, with a grin.