第83部分(第3/7 頁)

eing　more　consistently　depressed　than　I　was　during　the　first　part　of　the　following　winter。　Here；　as　I　no　longer　shoot；　I　had　nothing　to　do；　except　the　daily　grind　of　romance…writing；　relieved　only　by　Bench　business；　my　farm　affairs；　and　an　afternoon　walk　through　the　mud　with　the　two　spaniels；　Bustle　and　Jeekie；　and　a　chat　after　church　on　Sunday　upon　the　affairs　of　the　nation　with　my　fellow…churchwarden；　friend　and　neighbour；　Mr。　Carr；　the　squire　of　this　place。　Also　bronchitis；　which　had　threatened　me　for　some　years；　troubled　me　much。　I　thought　that　I　had　shaken　it　off；　but　caught　it　again　during　a　cold　snap；　staying　at　a　Cambridge　college；　whither　I　went　to　address　a　large　meeting　upon　the　possibility　of　establishing　agricultural　training　institutions　upon　the　Danish　model。　So　I　returned　here；　enjoyed　the　bronchitis；　and　began　to　write　this　autobiography；　for　really　it　seemed　as　though　everything　had　e　to　an　end。

Then　of　a　sudden　things　changed；　as　they　have　a　way　of　doing　in　life。　Thus　one　morning　about　Christmas…time　I　found　amongst　my　correspondence　a　munication　from　the　Prime　Minister　informing　me　that　the　King　had　been　pleased　to　confer　a　knighthood　upon　me。　I　had　often　thought　and　said　that　I　did　not　think　I　should　care　to　be　knighted。　Indeed　when　a　year　or　two　before　it　was　suggested　to　me　through　a　semi…official　channel　on　behalf　of　a　very　powerful　Minister；　that　if　I　wished　for　a　barocy　it　might　perhaps　be　arranged；　I　said　at　once；　and　firmly；　that　I　did　not。　Barocies　are　for　rich　men　who　have　male　heirs；　not　for　persons　like　myself。

However；　I　took　the　knighthood　when　it　was　definitely　offered；　on　the　ground　that　it　is　a　mistake　to　refuse　anything　in　this　world；　also　that　a　title　is　useful　in　the　public　service；　and　especially　so　abroad。　Moreover