a fine room, and its
outlook upon the rising ground of the garden is pleasantness itself.

[Illustration: THE INNER HALL.

_From a Photo. by Elliott & Fry._]

We were just leaving the library when a soft pit-pat, pit-pat at our
heels caused me to turn. The quiet, disturbing footfalls were made by a
beautiful blue Angora cat, which was accompanied by George, the pug, who
had made his presence known at the dinner table. Both Sultan, the cat,
and George proved to be the most interesting of animals imaginable.
Sultan's kittens are sold for charitable purposes and a little litter
realized L10 for the Wakefield Bishopric Fund. George used to worry the
sheep--he was the death of seven. He saw a St. Bernard causing trouble
amongst the universal providers of lamb and mutton, and he could not
resist the temptation to imitate his bigger brother. But he has long
since been forgiven.

[Illustration: THE HOLDEN LIBRARY.

_From a Photo. by Elliott & Fry._]

"Sultan and George," said the Bishop, "were the greatest of rivals when
they first came here--now they are the best of friends. One bitter cold
night George set up a terrible barking. I left my room, went
downstairs--nothing apparently the matter. But George would not let me
go. He barked and ran to the door. Then I heard a low, piteous cry. I
opened the door, and in walked Sultan from the snow-covered step,
perished with cold!"

I gave George a pat on the head--I fancy he knew what we had been
talking about. Away he cantered with Sultan, and we went into the
drawing-room. There are two such apartments at the Palace, each leading
into the other. Both look out upon the grounds, the trees in which now
bear the golden-tinted reminders of autumn upon their branches, and the
grass is plentifully strewn with the chestnuts blown down by the wind.
The smaller of the two rooms abounds with dainty water-colours--light,
bright and tiny paintings of sea-side views and flowers--numberless
portraits, and photographic reminiscences of travel. The curiosity,
however, of this apartment is a replica of the bust of Dante at Naples.
The Bishop of Ripon is a very earnest and enthusiastic student of the
great philosophical poet. Pictures of Dante, indeed, abound throughout
the house, and in the study--to be visited later--are to be found many
rare and valuable editions of him who conceived the never-to-be-excelled
"Inferno," including Lord Vernon's, the Landino editions of 1481, and
the Nidobea