“Here you have the choicest exotics taking kindly to a soil gifted by nature with the most extraordinary powers of production; and all that can pamper the appetite or yield delight to the senses, is scattered around by nature with a liberal hand.  It is quite impossible that royalty should come near the favoured spot without visiting it as a thing of course; and I forgot to mention that a revenue is derived from some cottages, which, although small, is yet sufficient to pay the tithe on the whole estate.”

“There, there—­that will do.”

“Here you have purling rills and cascades, and fish-ponds so redundant with the finny tribe, that you have but to wish for sport, and it is yours; here you have in the mansion, chambers that vie with the accommodation of a palace—­ample dormitories and halls of ancient grandeur; here you have—­”

“Stop,” said the baron, “stop; I cannot be pestered in this way with your description.  I have no patience to listen to such mere words—­show me the house at once, and let me judge for myself.”

“Certainly, sir; oh! certainly; only I thought it right to give you a slight description of the place as it really was:  and now, sir, that we have reached the house, I may remark that here we have—­”

“Silence!” said the baron; “if you begin with here we have, I know not when you will leave off.  All I require of you is to show me the place, and to answer any question which I may put to you concerning it.  I will draw my own conclusions, and nothing you can say, one way or another, will affect my imagination.”

“Certainly, sir, certainly; I shall only be too happy to answer any questions that may be put to me by a person of your lordship’s great intelligence; and all I can remark is, that when you reach the drawing-room floor, any person may truly say, here you have—­I really beg your pardon, sir—­I had not the slightest intention of saying here you have, I assure you; but the words came out quite unawares, I assure you.”

“Peace—­peace!” cried again the baron; “you disturb me by this incessant clatter.”

Thus admonished, Mr. Leek was now quiet, and allowed the baron in his own way to make what investigation he pleased concerning Anderbury House.

The investigation was not one that could be gone over in ten minutes; for the house was extremely extensive, and the estate altogether presented so many features of beauty and interest, that it was impossible not to linger over it for a considerable period of time.

The grounds were most extensive, and planted with such a regard to order and regularity, everything being in its proper place, that it was a pleasure to see an estate so well kept.  And although the baron was not a man who said much, it was quite evident, by what little he did utter, that he was very well pleased with Anderbury-on-the-Mount.

“And now,” said Mr. Leek, “I will do myself the pleasure, sir, of showing your grace the subterranean passage.”