‘The honour of a glass of wine with you, Lady Arabella,’ said he.’

‘I never take wine at dinner,’ said Lady Arabella.  The man was becoming intolerable to her, and she was beginning to fear that it would be necessary for her to fly the room to get rid of him.

The baronet was again silent for a moment; but he was determined not to be put down.

‘This is a nice-looking country about her,’ said he.

‘Yes; very nice,’ said Mr Gazebee, endeavouring to relieve the lady of the mansion.

’I hardly know which I like best; this, or my own place at Boxall Hill.  You have the advantage here in trees, and those sort of things.  But, as to the house, why, my box there is very comfortable, very.  You’d hardly know the place now, Lady Arabella, if you haven’t seen it since my governor bought it.  How much do you think he spent about the house and grounds, pineries included, you know, and those sort of things.’

Lady Arabella shook her head.

‘Now guess, my lady,’ said he.  But it was not to be supposed that Lady Arabella should guess on such a subject.

‘I never guess,’ said she, with a look of ineffable disgust.

‘What do you say, Mr Gazebee?’

‘Perhaps a hundred thousand pounds.’

’What! for a house!  You can’t know much about money, nor yet about building, I think, Mr Gazebee.’

‘Not much,’ said Mr Gazebee, ’as to such magnificent places as Boxall Hill.’

’Well, my lady, if you won’t guess, I’ll tell you.  It cost twenty-two thousand four hundred and nineteen pounds four shillings and eightpence.  I’ve all the accounts exact.  Now, that’s a tidy lot of money for a house for a man to live in.’

Sir Louis spoke this in a loud tone, which at least commanded the attention of the table.  Lady Arabella, vanquished, bowed her head, and said that it was a large sum; Mr Gazebee went on sedulously eating his dinner; the squire was struck momentarily dumb in the middle of a long chat with the doctor; even Mr Oriel ceased to whisper; and the girls opened their eyes with astonishment.  Before the end of his speech, Sir Louis’s voice had become very loud.

‘Yes, indeed,’ said Frank; ’a very tidy lot of money.  I’d have generously dropped the four and eightpence if I’d been the architect.’

‘It wasn’t on one bill; but that’s the tot.  I can show the bills;’ and Sir Louis, well pleased with his triumph, swallowed a glass of wine.

Almost immediately after the cloth was removed, Lady Arabella escaped, and the gentlemen clustered together.  Sir Louis found himself next to Mr Oriel, and began to make himself agreeable.

‘A very nice girl, Miss Beatrice; very nice.’

Now Mr Oriel was a modest man, and, when thus addressed as to his future wife, found it difficult to make any reply.

‘You parsons always have your own luck,’ said Sir Louis.  ’You get all the beauty, and generally all the money, too.  Not much of the latter in this case, though—­eh?’