Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-09-04
CHAPTER vi.

The Court was "A magnificent pile OF
buildings standing about two miles from
the river, on the opposite bank to the Weir
Mill, in the midst of an extensive park,
beautiful pleasure-grounds Immediately
surrounding the mansion.
The Sabines almost knew the place by
heart; they had carte blanche to 60 10 the
Court when they chose, only the library,
musc-room, and one or two other apart
ments being locked UP. The building it.
self, they told lima, would take fortnight
TO explore, 10 say nothing of the picture
gallery, state apartments, chapel, and
works of art innumerable, collected DUR
ing several hundred years.
| The Sabines' carriage rolled under q
deep arched gateway into vast court
yard, and lima looked up with profound
yeneration ut castellated walls that had
trowned OH crusaders and had been de-
Tended against Cromwell's soldiers. How
could Sir Philip care SO little to remain in
such grand old home rs this, breathing
traditions Of glory and greatness? Her
heart swelled within her, her eyes filed
with tears, and her breath came quickly.
But the carriage stopped at the noble EN-
trance, and sir Philip came down 10 re-
ceiye his guests.
! He gave, AS in duty bound, his best at
tention TO Miss Durnford, but llma's rapt
face was the only one he really cared to
see. They passed through the great hall,
where lima would have given the world
to linger, and where it seemed proper to
converse in subdued tones, to a noble
apartment oil furnished in OAK and ebony,
with stained-gl glass windows and painted
domed ceiling, and with stately pictures
by Velasquez aud Vandyck oil the walls.
china is quite overawed," remarked
Rose, laughing; and the girl WINGED and
colored, but smiled when Sir Philip turn
ed TO her.
"Your organ Of yeneration is large" he
said; and just tor second a wild vision
flashed through his mind which made his
heart almost cease to beat, as lie saw her
standing there in her young beauty, with
the warra light on her golden hair and n
deeper light in her wondrous eyes.
Would she ever know why he was silent
for "A moment and summed her cloudless,
fearless gazey
al suppose" he said, after that pause,
"that, though lima is the youngest here,
she must be commander Of the expedition,
as she Is the stranger. You all know the
Court rs well as-pcrhaps better than
do. Miss Durnford tells me she would
prefer to remain here for a little, and then
intends to steer for the conservatorics,
where wilkins will be a superior guide to
myself, for | am the worst Of Horticulture
lists. SO, lima, where is it to be first for
your"
lima hesitated; and then she said
al am sure TO like il al''-thinking that
perhaps Sir Philip would not like to 90 to
nj "a. rios ct
when he was away again.
"Would you like to see the picture gal.
lerics?" asked Darrell, divining what
was in her mind. "Yess This way
then"
As they paused before an old Sevres vase
/ In n u corridor. he said
alt was very kind of you to think Of me I;
but | have no objection Mt all to the pic
ture-gallerics. Perhaps we had better
commence with the one containing the fam
lily portraits" lie added. as Roland and
Rose approached, jamie having gone of
somewh else.
1t took some time to reach the galleries,
there being so many things to admire and
hear about on the way. But for Ima's
company, Roland would far rather have
/ been in the stables. He had not much
taste for curious carvings, statues, and
things of u kindred nature. He could not
have told the difference between tho Re-
naissance and any other period, any more
/ than he could have assigned u painting to
any given school. Sir Philip however had
1t all at his fnger's-ends, aud lima seemed
in her glory; but in her heart she felt
more and more, as she went OF, that this
grand place was not home. A shadow
seemed TO hang over IL. Sir Philip was
proud of the Court; he loved IL passion
ately in way, but not word passed his
lips such rs would have been natural for
its master, in the flower OF his manhood,
indicating that hc regarded il as an abid-
ing-plsce. Nor had IL an air OF home
Everything was redolent of the past. IL