Babington went in search of the host. The room was lighted only
by a fire leaping in the chimney; and she could make out little, except
that pieces of stuff hung upon the walls, and a long row of metal
vessels and plates were ranged in a rack between the windows.
"It is a quiet inn," said Alice. Marjorie nodded again. She was too
tired to speak; and almost immediately Anthony came back, with a tall,
clean-shaven, middle-aged man, in an apron, following behind.
"It is all well," he said. "We can have our rooms and the parlour
complete. These are the ladies," he added.
The landlord bowed a little, with a dignity beyond that of his dress.
"Supper shall be served immediately, madam," he said, with a tactful
impartiality towards them both.
* * * * *
They were indeed very pleasant rooms; and, as Anthony had described
them to her, were situated towards the back of the long, low house, on
the first floor, with a private staircase leading straight up from the
yard to the parlour itself. The sleeping-rooms, too, opened upon the
parlour; that which the two ladies were to occupy was furthest from the
yard, for quietness' sake; that in which Anthony and his man would
sleep, upon the other side. The windows of all three looked straight out
upon a little walled garden that appeared to be the property of some
other house. The rooms were plainly furnished, but had a sort of dignity
about them, especially in the carved woodwork about the doors and
windows.
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