Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1905-11-21
CHAPTER XII

The Tuesday was q fine day. The
August sunsline-the beautiful harvest
time sunshine, which was rejoicing the
hearts of all the farmers, awoke Mrs.
Gilbert very early. She was going to
Mordred Priory. For once she forgot to
notice the ugliness of the shabby furni-
ture. the bare whitewashed walls upon
which her eyes opened. She was going
to Mordred Priory.
How pretty the village of Mordred
looked in the sleepy August atmosphere
How beautiful everything looked lust at
the entrance to the village, where there
was a long stra ggling inn with a top
heavy roof, all dotted over with impos-
sible little windows, a dear old red-tiled
roof, with pouters and fantails brooding
and cooling to themselves in the sunshine,
and yellow stone-crop creeping here and
there in patches of gold!
Isabel almost trembled as Mr. Gilbert
got out of the gig and pulled the iron
ring that hung at the end of a long chain
on one side of those formidable oaken
gates. 1t seemed like ringing ut the
door Of the past, somehow; and the doc
tors wife half expected to see quantity
costuned servants, with long points to
their shoes and strange parti-colored gar
ments, and jester with 3 cap and bells,
when those great gates were opened. But
the person who opened the gates was
only a very harmless old woman, who
Inhabited some stony chambers on one
side of the ponderous archway; and in
the next moment Mr.. Lansdell came out
of the porch and babe his visitors well
come TO Mordred.
Il am so glad to see you What a
lovely morning, Is it not? I'm afraid
you must have found the roads rather
dusty, though. Take care of Mr.. Gill
bert's horse, Christie; you'd better put
him into one of the loose boxes. You
see my dogs know you, Mrs. Gilbert"
A liver-colored pointer and great black
retriever were taking friendly notice of
Isabel VIII you come to see my pic
lures at once? l expect Gwendoline and
her father, and your friend Mr.. Raymond
and the children presently"
There Wa no special brilliancy or elo-
quence in all this, but it sounded differ
ent TO other peoples talk, somehow. The
languid, lingering tones were very cor
dial. in spite of their languor; and then
how splendid the speaker looked in his
loose black velvet morning coat, which.
harmonized so exquisitely with the hues
of his complexion.
Mr.. Lansden led the way into a room
beyond which there were other rooms
opening one into the other in long vista
of splendor and sunshine. Isabel had
only very faint idea of what she saw in
those beautiful rooms 1t was all a
confusion Of brightness and color. which
was almost too much for her poor senti-
mental brain.
They all went downstairs presently.
and were ushered into an eak-paneled
room, where there was an oval table laid
for luncheon, and where Isabel found
herself seated presently on Mr.. Lans-
delrs right hand, and opposite TO Gwen
doline Pomphrey.
This was life. Mrs. Gilbert
had a very vague idea of the nature of
the viands which were served to her at
that wonderful feast.
shall we 90 into the garden?" said
Gwendoline, as they rose from the ia
bic. and everybody assented: so presently
Isabel found herself amidst a little group
upoa the miniature lawn, in the center
"a which there was broad marble basin,
filled with goldfish. and feeble little