Anthony Trollope: The Belton Estate

32. CHAPTER XXXII: CONCLUSION (continued)

'I hope there'll be nothing to prevent us.'

'There might be, perhaps; but we'll always come if there is not. For the rest of it, I'll leave it to Bunce, and just run over once or twice in the year. It would not be a nice place for you to live at long.'

'I like it of all things. I am quite interested about the farm.'

'You'd get very sick of it if you were here in the winter. The truth is that if you farm well, you must farm ugly. The picturesque nooks and corners have all to be turned inside out, and the hedgerows must be abolished, because we want the sunshine. Now, down at Belton, just above the house, we won't mind farming well, but will stick to the picturesque.'

The new house was immediately commenced at Belton, and was made to proceed with all imaginable alacrity. It was supposed at one time at least Belton himself said that he so supposed that the building would be ready for occupation at the end of the first summer; but this was not found to be possible. 'We must put it off till May, after all,' said Belton, as he was walking round the unfinished building with Colonel Askerton. 'It's an awful bore, but there's no getting people really to pull out in this country.'

'I think they've pulled out pretty well. Of course you couldn't have gone into a damp house for the winter.'

'Other people can get a house built within twelve months. Look what they do in London.'

'And other people with their wives and children die in consequence of colds and sore throats and other evils of that nature. I wouldn't go into a new house, I know, till I was quite sure it was dry.'