ked
better than that of any one else on earth.
Lord Sherbrooke looked in his face with a glance of malicious
pleasure; and then, as nothing on earth ever stopped him in anything
that he chose to do or say, he burst forth into a gay peal of
laughter at the surprise which he saw depicted on the countenance of
his friend.
"Take the horses," he continued, turning to his own servants--"take
the horses round to the Green Dragon, in the lane behind the house,
wet their noses, and give them a book to read till we come to them.
Come, Wilton, come! It is quite fitting," he said, in a lower tone,
"that in execution of my plan I should establish a character for
insanity in the house. Now that fat porter with the mulberry nose
will go and report to the kitchen-maid that I order my horses a book
to read, and they will decide that I am mad in a minute. The news
will fly from kitchen-maid to cook, and from cook to housekeeper, and
from housekeeper to lady's maid, and from lady's maid to lady. There
will be nothing else talked of in the house but my madness; and when
they come to add madness to badness they will surely give me up, if
they haven't a mind to add sadness to madness likewise."
While he spoke, they were following a sort of groom of the chambers,
who, after looking into one of the rooms on the ground-floor, turned
to Lord Sherbrooke, saying, in a sweet tone,
"Lady Laura is walking in the gardens I see, my lord. I will show
your lordship the way."
"So you have the honour of knowing who my lordship is, Mr. Montgomery
Styles?" said Lord Sherbrooke, looking him full in the face.
"I beg your lordship's pardon," said the man, in the same mincing
manner--"my name is not Montgomery Styles--my name is Josiah
Perkins."
"Well, Jos. Perkins," said the young nobleman, "I PRAE SEQUOR, which
means, get on as fast as you can, Mr. Perkins, and I'll come after;
though you may tell me as you go, how it was you discovered my
lordliness."
"Oh! by your look, my lord: I should have discovered it at once,"
replied the groom of the chambers; "but his grace told me that your
lordship was likely to call."
"Oh, ho!" cried Lord Sherbrooke, with a laughing look to Wilton. But
the next moment the servant threw open a glass door, and they issued
forth into the gardens, which were very beautiful, and extended down
to the river, filled with fine old trees, and spread out in soft
green terraces and gravel walks. Lord Sherbrooke gazed round at
first, with a look of criticising inquiry, u