’No, no; good simple people, they were unused to orders from strange masters, and they were perplexed.  Besides, we had no right to interfere.’

’No right to interfere!  Venetia, my little fellow-labourer, no right to interfere!  Why all is yours!  Fancy your having no right to interfere at Cadurcis!’

Then they proceeded to the park and wandered to the margin of the lake.  There was not a spot, not an object, which did not recall some adventure or incident of childhood.  Every moment Lord Cadurcis exclaimed, ‘Venetia! do you remember this?’ ’Venetia! have you forgotten that?’ and every time Venetia smiled, and proved how faithful was her memory by adding some little unmentioned trait to the lively reminiscences of her companion.

‘Well, after all,’ said Lord Cadurcis with a sigh, ’my poor mother was a strange woman, and, God bless her! used sometimes to worry me out of my senses! but still she always loved you.  No one can deny that.  Cherbury was a magic name with her.  She loved Lady Annabel, and she loved you, Venetia.  It ran in the blood, you see.  She would be happy, quite happy, if she saw us all here together, and if she knew—­’

‘Plantagenet,’ said Lady Annabel, ’you must build a lodge at this end of the park.  I cannot conceive anything more effective than an entrance from the Southport road in this quarter.’

’Certainly, Lady Annabel, certainly we must build a lodge.  Do not you think so, Venetia?’

‘Indeed I think it would be a great improvement,’ replied Venetia; ‘but you must take care to have a lodge in character with the abbey.’

‘You shall make a drawing for it,’ said Lord Cadurcis; ’it shall be built directly, and it shall be called Venetia Lodge.’

The hours flew away, loitering in the park, roaming in the woods.  They met Mistress Pauncefort and her friends loaded with plunder, and they offered to Venetia a trophy of their success; but when Venetia, merely to please their kind hearts, accepted their tribute with cordiality, and declared there was nothing she liked better, Lord Cadurcis would not be satisfied unless he immediately commenced nutting, and each moment he bore to Venetia the produce of his sport, till in time she could scarcely sustain the rich and increasing burden.  At length they bent their steps towards home, sufficiently wearied to look forward with welcome to rest and their repast, yet not fatigued, and exhilarated by the atmosphere, for the sun was now in its decline, though in this favoured season there were yet hours enough remaining of enchanting light.