In those old days, seventy or eighty years since, the whole population of the kingdom watched the weather with anxiety; and it was then that the signs and tokens of birds and plants and the set of the wind at particular times were regarded as veritable oracles to be inquired into not without fear and trembling.
Hilary heard all about it when he was a lad from old Jonathan, who had a corn-farm up on the hills, and where he used to go to plough.

Hilary never stated the exact degree, but there was some relationship between them--two branches, I fancy, of the same family.

He seemed to have a very bitter memory of the old man (now dead), who had been a hard master to him in his youth; besides which, some family jar had arisen over money matters; still, he was fond of quoting Jonathan in reference to wheat and the heyday of corn-farming.

Jonathan remembered when a load of wheat fetched 55_l._--a load being five quarters or ten sacks--or 11_l._ a quarter.

The present average of wheat was about 2_l._ 6_s._ per quarter.