“The great house and estate in our part of the world is Castra Regis, the family seat of the Caswall family.  The last owner who lived here was Edgar Caswall, grandfather of the man who is coming here—­and he was the only one who stayed even a short time.  This man’s grandfather, also named Edgar—­they keep the tradition of the family Christian name—­quarrelled with his family and went to live abroad, not keeping up any intercourse, good or bad, with his relatives, although this particular Edgar, as I told you, did visit his family estate, yet his son was born and lived and died abroad, while his grandson, the latest inheritor, was also born and lived abroad till he was over thirty—­his present age.  This was the second line of absentees.  The great estate of Castra Regis has had no knowledge of its owner for five generations—­covering more than a hundred and twenty years.  It has been well administered, however, and no tenant or other connected with it has had anything of which to complain.  All the same, there has been much natural anxiety to see the new owner, and we are all excited about the event of his coming.  Even I am, though I own my own estate, which, though adjacent, is quite apart from Castra Regis.—­Here we are now in new ground for you.  That is the spire of Salisbury Cathedral, and when we leave that we shall be getting close to the old Roman county, and you will naturally want your eyes.  So we shall shortly have to keep our minds on old Mercia.  However, you need not be disappointed.  My old friend, Sir Nathaniel de Salis, who, like myself, is a free-holder near Castra Regis—­his estate, Doom Tower, is over the border of Derbyshire, on the Peak—­is coming to stay with me for the festivities to welcome Edgar Caswall.  He is just the sort of man you will like.  He is devoted to history, and is President of the Mercian Archaeological Society.  He knows more of our own part of the country, with its history and its people, than anyone else.  I expect he will have arrived before us, and we three can have a long chat after dinner.  He is also our local geologist and natural historian.  So you and he will have many interests in common.  Amongst other things he has a special knowledge of the Peak and its caverns, and knows all the old legends of prehistoric times.”

They spent the night at Cheltenham, and on the following morning resumed their journey to Stafford.  Adam’s eyes were in constant employment, and it was not till Salton declared that they had now entered on the last stage of their journey, that he referred to Sir Nathaniel’s coming.

As the dusk was closing down, they drove on to Lesser Hill, Mr. Salton’s house.  It was now too dark to see any details of their surroundings.  Adam could just see that it was on the top of a hill, not quite so high as that which was covered by the Castle, on whose tower flew the flag, and which was all ablaze with moving lights, manifestly used in the preparations for the festivities on the morrow.  So Adam deferred his curiosity till daylight.  His grand-uncle was met at the door by a fine old man, who greeted him warmly.