BARREN 11ONOUR.



hands, and to close with an awful thun-
derous bang, that went rolling along the
vaulted stone roof, till even a Dutch
garrison would have been roused from
its slumbers. Very, very rarely had the
rustle of feminine garments been heard
within these sacred precincts; hardly
ever, indeed, since the times of wild
Philip Vavasour-"1 The Red Squire"-
who, if all tales are true, entertained
singularly limited notions as to his own
marital duties, and enormously extensive
ones as to les droits de seigneurie.
  It was a large, square, low-browed
room, lined on two sides with presses
and book-cases of black walnut wood,
that, from their appearance, might have
been placed there when it was built.
The furniture all matched these, though
evidently of quite recent date; the chairs,
at least, being constructed to meet every
requirement of modern laziness or las-
situde.  An immense mantelpiece of
carved white marble, slightly discolored
by wood-smoke, rose nearly to the
vaulted ceiling, in the centre of which
were the crest and arms of the family,
wrought in porphyry. There were two
windows, large enough to let in ample
light, in spite of heavy stone mullions
and armorial shields on every other pane
-the south one looking to the garden-
front, the west into a quiet, old-fash-
ioned bowling-green, enclosed by yew
hedges thick and even as an ancient
rampart, and trained at the corners into
the shape of pillars crowned with vases.
Not a feature of the place seems to have
been altered since the times when some
stout elderlv Cavalier may have smoked
a digestive pipe in that centre arbour;
or later, when -some gallant of Queen
Anne's court may have doffed delicately
his velvet coat, laying it, like an offer-
ing, at Sacharissa's feet, ere he proceeded
to win her father's favour by losing any
number of games.
  A pleasant room at all hours, it is un-
usually picturesque at the moment we
speak of, from the effects of many-colored
light and shade. A hot August day is
fast drawing to its close; the sun is so
level that it only just clears the yews
sufficiently to throw into strong relief,
against a dark back-ground, the torso of



a sitting figure which is well worth a
second glance.
  You look upon a man past middle
age, large-limbed, vast-chested, and evi-
dently of commanding stature, with pro-
portions not yet too massive for activity;
indeed, his bearing may well have gained
in dignity what it has lost in grace. The
face is still more remarkable. Searching
through the numberless portraits that
line the picture-gallery, you will hardly
find a dozen where the personal beauty
for which the Vavasours have long been
proverbial is more strikingly exemplified
than in their present representative.
There'are lines of silver-not unfrequent
-in the abundant chesnut hair and
bushy whiskers; but fifty-four years
have not traced ten wrinkles on the high
white forehead, nor filled the outline of
the well-cut aquiline features, nor altered
the clearness of the healthy, bright com-
plexion, nor dimmed the pleasant light
of the large frank blue eyes. There is
a fault, certainly-the want of decision,
about the mouth and all the lower part
of the face; but even this vou are not
disposed to cavil much at, after hearing
once or twice Hubert Vavasour's ready,
ringing laugh, and watching his kindly
smile. His manner had that rare blend-
ing of gentle courtesy with honest cor-
diality, that the rudest stoic finds irre-
sistibly attractive: you never could trace
in it the faintest shade of condescension,
or aggravating affability. Presiding at
his own table, talking to a tenant at the
cover-side, discussing the last opera with
the fair Duchess of Darlington, or smok-
ing the peaceful midnight cigar with an
old comrade, the Squire of Dene seemed
to be, and really was, equally happy,
natural, and at home.
  At this particular moment the ex-
pression of his pleasant face was unu-
sually grave, and there was a eloud on
his open brow, not of anger or vexation,
but decidedly betokening perplexity.
He was evidently pondering deeply
over words that had just been address-
ed to him by the only other occupant
of the " study."
  The latter was a tall man, slightly
and gracefully built, apparently about
thirty; his pale, quiet face had no



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