and no wanderer was ever turned from the door. The squire of my
father's time was the county member, and the day he was elected there
were two hogsheads of port and two of brandy broached on the lawn in
front of the terrace; and for a week afterwards there was scarcely a
sober man in the town for miles round. He was master of the hounds, and
the hunt breakfasts and the hunt balls were more splendid than anything
else of that kind in the kingdom; in fact, people used to come from all
parts of the kingdom to attend them. Yes, the Herons made Herondale
famous, as you may say, sir."

He paused and shook his head, and Stafford remained silent: he was too
wise to break in upon the narrative. The landlord sighed and looked
lovingly at his cigar, then went on:

"They offered that squire--Miss Ida's grandfather--a peerage; the
Herons had often been offered a baronetcy; but they'd always refused,
and the squire declined the peerage. He said that no man could wish to
be higher than Heron, of Herondale; that better men than he had been
contented with it, and he was quite satisfied with the rank which had
satisfied his forefathers. When he died, the followers at the funeral
made a procession a mile and a quarter long."

"How did the family lose its money, drop its greatness?" Stafford
asked.

The landlord screwed up his eyes thoughtfully.

"Well, it's hard to tell, sir," he replied. "Of course there was always
a tremendous drain going on; for it was not only down here that the
squire spent the money freely; but it was just the same or worse when
he was in London; he had a big house there, and entertained as
splendidly, perhaps more so, than he did at the Hall. In those days,
too, sir, there was as much gaming and betting as there is now, perhaps
more--though I'm told that great folks are more given nowadays to
gambling on the Stock Exchange than at cards or race-horses; begging
your pardon, sir!"

"I'm afraid you're right," assented Stafford, with his short laugh. "I
prefer the old way myself."

"Just so, sir," said the landlord, with an approving nod. "Well, what
with the money going here and there and everywhere, they found when the
present squire's father died that there was very little left; and worse
than all, that some of the land was sold, and what remained was heavily
mortgaged. It's what often happens to old families, sir, more's the
pity!"

"Yes," said Stafford. "And is the present squire like his father?"

"No