He proved this at a heavy cost by
breeding better beasts than his rivals, who were all
exhibitors and prizewinners, and who by this means got their
advertisements and secured the highest prices, while he, who
disdained prizes and looked with disgust at the overfed and
polished animals at shows, got no advertisements and was
compelled to sell at unremunerative prices. The buyers, it
may be mentioned, were always the breeders for shows, and they
made a splendid profit out of it.
He carried on the fight for a good many years, becoming more
and more involved, until his creditors took possession of the
estate, sold off the stock, let the farms, and succeeded in
finding a tenant for the furnished house. He went to a
cottage in the village and there passed his remaining years.
To the world he appeared unmoved by his reverses. The change
from mansion and park to a small thatched cottage, with a
labourer's wife for attendant, made no change in the man, nor
did he resign his seat on the Bench of Magistrates or any
other unpaid office he held. To the last he was what he had
always been, formal and ceremonious, more gracious to those
beneath him than to equals; strict in the performance of his
duties, living with extreme frugality and giving freely to
those in want, and very regular in his attendance at church,
where he would sit facing the tombs and memorials of his
ancestors, among the people but not of them--a man alone and
apart, respected by all but loved by none.
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