And indeed he was kind to everybody, and all our people spoke well of him; and so much the more because we knew that the house was in decadence.

For the first De Whichehalse had come from Holland, where he had been a great nobleman, some hundred and fifty years agone.

Being persecuted for his religion, when the Spanish power was everything, he fled to England with all he could save, and bought large estates in Devonshire.

Since then his descendants had intermarried with ancient county families, Cottwells, and Marwoods, and Walronds, and Welses of Pylton, and Chichesters of Hall; and several of the ladies brought them large increase of property.

And so about fifty years before the time of which I am writing, there were few names in the West of England thought more of than De Whichehalse.