had prematurely died, before the
death, a few years since, of Thomas, fifth Duke of Meldrum. He had come
to a sudden and, as the duchess often remarked, very suitable end; for,
on his sixty-second birthday, clad in all the splendours of his hunting
scarlet, top hat, and buff corduroy breeches, the mare he was
mercilessly putting at an impossible fence suddenly refused, and
Thomas, Duke of Meldrum, shot into a field of turnips; pitched upon his
head, and spoke no more.

This sudden cessation of his noisy and fiery life meant a complete
transformation in the entourage of the duchess. Hitherto she had had to
tolerate the boon companions, congenial to himself, with whom he chose
to fill the house; or to invite those of her own friends to whom she
could explain Thomas, and who suffered Thomas gladly, out of friendship
for her, and enjoyment of lovely Overdene. But even then the duchess
had no pleasure in her parties; for, quaint rough diamond though she
herself might appear, the bluest of blue blood ran in her veins; and,
though her manner had the off-hand abruptness and disregard of other
people's feelings not unfrequently found in old ladies of high rank,
she was at heart a true gentlewoman, and could always be trusted to say
and do the right thing in moments of importance: The late duke's
language had been sulphurous and his manners Georgian; and when he had
been laid in the unwonted quiet of his ancestral vault--"so unlike him,
poor dear," as the duchess remarked, "that it is quite a comfort to
know he is not really there"--her Grace looked around her, and began to
realise the beauties and possibilities of Overdene.

At first she contented herself with gardening, making an aviary, and
surrounding herself with all sorts of queer birds and beasts; upon whom
she lavished the affection which, of late years, had known no human
outlet.

But after a while her natural inclination to hospitality, her humorous
enjoyment of other people's foibles, and a quaint delight in parading
her own, led to constant succession of house-parties at Overdene, which
soon became known as a Liberty Hall of varied delights where you always
met the people you most wanted to meet, found every facility for
enjoying your favourite pastime, were fed and housed in perfect style,
and spent some of the most ideal days of your summer, or cheery days of
your winter, never dull, never bored, free to come and go as you
pleased, and everything seasoned everyb