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doesn't it?" I had never been near the aerodrome in her company without hearing her make this remark, and was not surprised to hear from the Rector's wife the customary reply: "Times certainly do change." I turned round in order to ask the ladies whether they would like the rug on which I was sitting, and observed on both their faces a look of wistfulness which I took to be a token of regret for the simpler days before the Air Force had established itself in this part of the country. But I did not ask them about the rug, for suddenly six or seven fighter aircraft swooped down on us from the clouds, deafening us with the roar of their engines. The ladies put their hands to their ears and opened their mouths. The Rector looked up apprehensively, for it seemed almost as though we were the object of a concerted attack, so near to us did the leading aircraft dive before it straightened out, followed by the others, and zoomed away from us over the extended airfield. "Crazy monkeys!" said the Rector. "One of these days they'll come to some harm." "There ought to be some sort of regulations," the Squire's sister said, as I turned round again with the rug and noticed that the Rector's wife was staring after the vanishing planes with a look of something very like pride or pleasure in her eyes. She caught my eye and smiled at me. I said: "I wouldn't mind flying one of those things," and as I said this she looked gravely at me and made an interrupted gesture with her hand. The Rector had heard my remark and, slightly turning his head, shouted: "We'll find something better for you to do than that, eh, Roy!" He was alluding to what he regarded as my excellent chance of obtaining a high place in the examination for the Civil Service and, knowing his solicitude for me, I was again shocked with myself for finding something repellent in the jocosity of his voice. For half a second a rude reply was on the tip of my tongue. I repressed it, with something like horror, and then for a few moments began actually to envisage the possibility of my becoming associated in some capacity with the aerodrome, although I knew that the lives and manners of its inmates were quite unlike those which were regarded as estimable by my guardians and my friends. So we sat silent until we turned again to the right and drove slowly downhill to the large meadow in which the Agricultural Show was held, and soon we saw over the tops of hedges the white sloping roofs of marquees, the flags flying, poles and pieces of machinery extending upwards into the air. We could hear the music that accompanied the roundabouts, the sound of shots from the shooting alleys, the shouts of men and the lowing of cattle. We parked the car and walked slowly to the turnstiles that had been installed at the entrance to the meadow. Around it was already collected a crowd of farmers and labourers with some county gentry. Fred was there, together with some other of my friends from our village. Some of them winked at me and pointed over their shoulders towards the beer tent, indicating that they would see me there later on; for they did not care to join me now that I was in the company of gentlefolk. The Rector paid our entrance money, after some protests by the Squire's sister, and we began to walk over the marshy ground on a path constructed of planks. At each side of us was an impressive display of agricultural and horticultural implements. Some of the best known firms in the county had sent specimens of their latest mechanical devices, and around each huge toothed engine was gathered a small crowd of men estimating the merits of the new invention. A number of women were queued up outside a tent in which a butter-making competition was shortly to be held. Others surrounded a cow which was being milked mechanically. And between the larger tents were small booths, where rabbits, ferrets, and ducks were being sold; also some local products such as ash walking-sticks, rustic seats, wicker-work, and