She
really asked nothing more of life than the continuance of such harvests
as she had so plenteously reaped for these last ten years. As long as
she directed the life of Riseholme, took the lead in its culture and
entertainment, and was the undisputed fountain-head of all its
inspirations, and from time to time refreshed her memory as to the
utter inferiority of London she wanted nothing more. But to secure
that she dedicated all that she had of ease, leisure and income.
Being practically indefatigable the loss of ease and leisure troubled
her but little and being in extremely comfortable circumstances, she
had no need to economise in her hospitalities. She might easily look
forward to enjoying an unchanging middle-aged activity, while
generations of youth withered round her, and no star, remotely rising,
had as yet threatened to dim her unrivalled effulgence. Though
essentially autocratic, her subjects were allowed and even encouraged
to develop their own minds on their own lines, provided always that
those lines met at the junction where she was station-master. With
regard to religion finally, it may be briefly said that she believed
in God in much the same way as she believed in Australia, for she had
no doubt whatever as to the existence of either, and she went to church
on Sunday in much the same spirit as she would look at a kangaroo in the
Zoological Gardens, for kangaroos come from Australia.
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