A considerable portion of his property had already gone into the hands of the duke, who, as a rule, bought up everything around him that was to be purchased.
Indeed it was said of him by his enemies, that so covetous was he of Barsetshire property, that he would lead a young neighbour on to his ruin, in order that he might get his land.

What--oh! what if he should come to be possessed in this way of any of the fair acres of Framley Court?
What if he should become possessed of them all?
It can hardly be wondered at that Lady Lufton should not like Chaldicotes.
The Chaldicotes set, as Lady Lufton called them, were in every way opposed to what a set should be according to her ideas.

She liked cheerful, quiet, well-to-do people, who loved their Church, their country, and their Queen, and who were not too anxious to make a noise in the world.

She desired that all the farmers round her should be able to pay their rents without trouble, that all the old women should have warm flannel petticoats, that the working men should be saved from rheumatism by healthy food and dry houses, that they should all be obedient to their pastors and masters--temporal as well as spiritual.

That was her idea of loving her country.