He had forgotten all about it, but at this interesting
juncture it was produced and read aloud by Beatrice. Mrs. Thomas took
it, and having examined it carefully through her horn-rimmed spectacles,
was constrained to admit its authenticity.
"I'm sure I apologise, sir," she said with a half-doubtful courtesy
and much tact, "but one can't be too careful with all these trampseses
about; I never should have thought from the look of you, sir, how as you
was the new squire."
This might be candid, but it was not flattering, and it caused Beatrice
to snigger behind her handkerchief in true school-girl fashion. However,
they entered, and were led by Mrs. Thomas with solemn pomp through
the great and little halls, the stone parlour and the oak parlour, the
library and the huge drawing-room, in which the white heads of marble
statues protruded from the bags of brown holland wherewith they were
wrapped about in a manner ghastly to behold. At length they reached a
small octagon-shaped room that, facing south, commanded a most glorious
view of sea and land. It was called the Lady's Boudoir, and joined
another of about the same size, which in its former owner's time had
been used as a smoking-room.
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