Perkins ahead to the Hall and went into the dining-room. He was
immensely pleased with himself for having just established a right of
way through the centre of Middleton's park:
"Slap across it, sir," he boasted, "within a hundred yards of his own
front door.  What do you think of that? We'll teach these magnates that
they cannot ride roughshod over the rights of the commoners, confound
them: And I've closed the wood where the Fernworthy folk used to picnic. 
These infernal people seem to think that there are no rights of property,
and that they can swarm where they like with their papers & their
bottles.  Both cases decided, Dr. Watson, and both in my favour.  I
haven't had such a day since I had Sir John Morland for trespass
because he shot in his own warren."
He knew the Fernworthy people would burn him in effigy tonight and
