who had paid him visits; the hall by its vast fire-place and the
tapestries that hung round it.

The exterior premises were scarcely less remarkable; a fine row of
stables, and kennels where greyhounds were kept, stood to the north and
the east of the house; but the wonder of the country was the gardens to
the south. Anthony hardly knew what to say for admiration as he went
slowly through these with his host, on the bright spring morning, after
visiting the house. These were elaborately laid out, and under Mr.
Buxton's personal direction, for he was one of the few people in England
at this time who really understood or cared for the art. His avenue of
small clipped limes running down the main walk of the garden, his
yew-hedges fashioned with battlements and towers; his great garden house
with its vane; his fantastic dial in the fashion of a tall striped pole
surmounted by a dragon;--these were the astonishment of visitors; and it
was freely said that had not Mr. Buxton been exceedingly adroit he would
have paid the penalty of his magnificence and originality by being forced
to receive a royal visit--a favour that would have gone far to
impoverish, if not to ruin him. The chancel of the parish-church
overlooked the west end of his lime-avenue, while the east end of the
garden terminated in a great gateway, of stone posts and wrought iron
gates that looked out to the meadows and farm buildings of the estate,
and up to which some day no doubt a broad carriage drive would be laid
down. But at present the sweep of the meadows was unbroken.

It was to this beautiful place that Anthony found himself welcomed. His
host took him at once on the evening of his arrival to the west block,
and showed him his bedroom--that with the little cupboards and the
oratory recess; and then, taking him downstairs again, showed him a
charming little oak parlour, which he told him would be altogether at his
private service.

"And you see," added Mr. Buxton, "in this walled garden in front you can
have complete privacy, and thus can take the air without ever coming to
the rest of the house; to which there is this one entrance on the ground
floor." And then he showed him how the lower end of the long corridor
communicated with the block.

"The only partners of this west block," he added, "will be the two
priests--Mr. Blake, my chaplain, and Mr. Robert, who is staying with me a
week or two; and who, I hope, will conduct you through the Exercises,