Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1886-08-08
FIVE MILLION POUNDS
By t. wENIYSs REID.
lCOSTISUEDl
CHAPTER VI.
CREAT LORTON HALL.

= Jr;ve of nearly four miles to Maulever's
house The country through which we
naSSed looked bclutifulin the early autumn
dress which il wore. There were distant
lines of blue hills, and near at hand long
meadows sloping to where a little rlNer
meandered down gentle valley w'th darS
stretches OF woodland intersperSed here ana
there among the yariously colored patches
which repreSented meadows ana cOrhheiuS'
| had asked the groom who drove me
how Naulevercr and his niece were, anu
had discovered that ne was too new conner
tn ~. ,,bIe to tell me anything that l dld
NOT knoyy respecting them. remained
silent. therefore. during the greater part
nf the drive. contenting myself with rs
tenipu 10 the larks, which were pouring
firth their carols high up IN the clear, blue
heavens. and with keeping a sharp lookout
for the house where l WAS 10 meet my
darling. -,
We came ut last to long avenue oil ven
er,ble trees which lined the public ROAD on
rithrr side. Ii was unusual to see trees
like these planted by the side OF a high-
MAY. and | could not resist the conclusion
TINT this muSt have been the main approach
10 The hall in past times. 1t led, however,
str,igbt into a little village, consisting oil
not more than score OF ancient houses,
Revond the village | could see the river
and a bridge with a high-crowned arCh'
which | learned subsequently accommoua-
ted MI the traffic IN that sparsely inhabited
district since the days of good Queen BeSS
Beyond the bridge again all was open
country. looked round IN beWlluermeht
in search OF tine hall.
suddenly caught sight OF 1t, standing
hard bv the road. on the very edge OF the
little river. \ great rOOkery OF lofty ems
had shielded IL nj first from my observation,
IN that | did not see it until we were al
r,,st nj the door. We'paSSed through a
fine gateway. flush with the village street
and tound ourselves i'm a large quadrangle,
covered with grass, upon which one OIL the
srahled ends of the hall looked out. Ihere
MAS another massive stone gateway oppO-
site 10 that by which we entered this IN
closure and here the dog cart stopped.
As Jumped to the ground, the iron
Yates of beautiful hammered metal were
thrown open, and Daisy and her uncle
stood before me. They gave me cordial
,r,etiur Mauleyerer being rs usual, qul-
TtIy courteous. DtiSy'S face WAS radlent
with happiness that seemed to answer that
which filled my own heart. | forgot every
thing about nv strange companion IN the
railway carriage in the JOY OF the moment:
We were standing, | found, on a broad
+arrnced walk which stretched along the
main front OF the hall and warm garden
wall of red brick which was continued Tor
- hundred wards or more beyond the end
of the house itself. The hall WAS veneer
able and imposing structure, built at III
farrnt STYLES Of architecture. The Oldest
DDrtion dated back from the reign oil hehrS
I'LL. and was a fragment Of S9me cccIcSi'S-
ticaI c,lifce which had been sacked ana
condScated al the Reformation. The most
mo.lern part was that in front OF when l
nny stood. and which had been erected IN
the reign Of James |.
There was something very striking both
i'm the appearance and the situation ol the
house. Ii stood, rs | have said, close to
village street: and yet the double gates,
and the great walled quadrangle, to say
nothing Of the tall elm trees, seemed TO
shut it of completely from the outer world
The river ran 80 close to its northern walls
that there WAS hardly room to pass between
the house and the edge of the stream Here
ON the south side, where l had met my most
and his niece, the broad walk on which we
stood was the only level piece Of ground.
Immediately beyond it the park land rose
steeplv toward the sky line.
4 house at once beautiful and romantic,
I thought, and Enthusiastically house with
a history. | could imagine in the dark
dayS of winter il wore a ghoStly aspect, ~
il rose amid the skeleton branches OF the
elms from the edge OF the sluggish stream
that swept past its walls. But to-day II
had a pleasant appearance enough, for the
SIM WAS shining upon its richly-tlnted
brick-wOrk. aud upon the mullloned WIN
dows enriched with numberleSS heraldIc
devices in stained glass.
DO YOU admire the house, said DAISY,
with a smile that had something in 1t OF
be pride of ownership,
Indeed | do | responded. But l.
not the situation 50 close to the village on
one hand and to the river on the other,
rather peculiar
IL though 50 mySclf,at first, - interpo'ed
Mauleverrr hut | find that We are ~
completely secluded here rs il no village ut
all existed; and ~ to the river, you Know
there is no house so dry aS one that stands
on the banks of a stream. But come, DAISY,
we must not keep Mr.. Fenton standing
here. Let Us show him something more
than the outside of the house.
Weentered, throughaquaints stone porch,
n large hall. with immense open fireplace,
low paneled roof of carved oak, and col
umns of the same wood supporting the
ceiling. There were doors leading from
this hall in almost every direction. The
apartment itself was furnished in style
which correspondent with the architecture,
There were heavily carved Jacobean chars
and tables, lounge OF two, some magnIh-
cent black oak cabinets, and an antique
clock which would have created turOre II
IL could have been seen at ChriSty'S. An
immense staircase, mp which II would have
been an easy matter to drive the traditional
coach-and-four, led from the hall To the
drawing-rOOm floor. The walls Of the
staircase were hung with splendid tapestry.
From the gallery to which the stairs gave
access | was conducted by my host into
the drawing-rOOm, an apartment which cor
responded in size with the great hall be-
low. At either end of it were smaller
rooms. one fitted rs a bOudOir and the other
A. a library; while beyond these again were
suits of spacious bed rooms, many with
rudely carved walls of paneled oak, and
Others hung like the staircase with vener-
able tapestry.
could not refrain from giving audible
expression to the admiration with which |
saw the noble dimensions of all the apart
ments, and the fine taste with which they
werv furnished.
Eyes" said Mauleverer, lit all does
credit to the people who have made ram
shackle old house habitable in a wonder
fully short space OF time. When l saw it
three months ago, nobody would have sup
posed that it could ever again be made tit
to live in. Yet we find it comfortable
enough nOw-iO we not, DaiSy?'
''Oh, ii is n charming place. she an
swered. But YOU know, uncle, have al
ready told YOU that for SOmethingS-Such
rs brightness and life and SOciety-I pre-
fer the Grand hotel at Scarborough.
''Yes, my dear, know You are always
throwing Scarborough in my teeth. Never
mind; We shall sec it again some day
Il had tried to catch DaiSy'S eye while