Who can this person be?
He couldn't--no, that's impossible, he could never have
had the impudence. His name was not Bellairs?"
"I didn't 'ear the name, sir. Do you know anything
against him?" cried my guide.
"Well," said I, "he is certainly not the person Carthew
would like to have here in his absence."
"Good gracious me!" exclaimed the gardener. "He was so
pleasant-spoken too; I thought he was some form of a
schoolmaster. Perhaps, sir, you wouldn't mind going
right up to Mr. Denman? I recommended him to Mr.
Denman, when he had done the grounds. Mr. Denman is
our butler, sir," he added.
The proposal was welcome, particularly as affording me
a graceful retreat from the neighbourhood of the
Carthew Chillinghams; and, giving up our projected
circuit, we took a short cut through the shrubbery and
across the bowling-green to the back quarters of the
Hall.
The bowling-green was surrounded by a great hedge of
yew, and entered by an archway in the quick. As we
were issuing from this passage my conductor arrested
me.
"The Honourable Lady Ann Carthew," he said, in an
august whisper.
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