Four LUKE MAKES A BEGINNING

Luke had thought out his plan of campaign with some care, and preparedto put it into action without more ado when he came down to breakfastthe following morning.
The gardening aunt was not in evidence, but Lord Whitfield was eatingkidneys and drinking coffee, and Bridget Conway had finished her mealand was standing¹ at the window, looking out.
After good mornings had been exchanged and Luke had sat down with aplentifully heaped plate of eggs and bacon, he began:
“I must get to work,” he said. “Difficult thing is to induce people to talk.
You know what I mean—not people like you and—er—Bridget.” (He re-membered just in time not to say Miss Conway.) “You’d tell me anythingyou knew—but the trouble is you wouldn’t know the things I want to know—that is the local superstitions³. You’d hardly believe the amount of super-stition that still lingers in out-of-the-way parts of the world. Why, there’s avillage in Devonshire. The rector had to remove some old granite⁴ menhirsthat stood by the church because the people persisted in marching roundthem in some old ritual every time there was a death. Extraordinary howold heathen rites⁵ persists.”
“Dare say you’re right,” said Lord Whitfield. “Education, that’s whatpeople need. Did I tell you that I’d endowed a very fine library here? Usedto be the old manor⁶ house—was going for a song—now it’s one of thefinest libraries—”
Luke firmly quelled⁷ the tendency of the conversation to turn in the dir-ection of Lord Whitfield’s doings.
“Splendid,” he said heartily⁸. “Good work. You’ve evidently realized thebackground of old- world ignorance there is here. Of course, from mypoint of view, that’s just what I want. Old customs—old wives’ tales—hintsof the old rituals such as—”

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