A Laodicean

stened thither to secure them from being stolen or spoiled. Meanwhile he was hoping to have an opportunity of rectifying Paula's mistake about his personality,

emerged from the outer archway an open landau, drawn by a pair of black horses of fine action and obviously strong pedigree, in which Paula was seated, under the shade of a white

no embarrassment in her manner, and the carriage bore her away without her making any sign for checking it. He had not be

eparture showed itself in his face as he observed her. However, he went on his

l in the glowing sun. While he watched the landau stopped, and in a few moments the horses were tur

re he had quite got to the bottom he saw

s you are to be at work so regularly every day! We didn't think you would be here to-day

le show. But I think

the ward, and after a few seconds Miss Power came in-S

brought you back?'

orgotten

here. Will you

nd. Mr. Somerset acknowledged the pleasure by a respectful inclinat

since. I was mistaken about you, was I not? Mr. Somerset, I am glad to welcome you here, both as a friend of M

not? I have already told him about them,' said Miss De Stancy. '

e did not reply quite so eagerly as Miss De Stancy seemed to expect to her kind suggestion, and Paula rem

at of a flute at the grave end of its gamut. If

ve been good enough to grant me-of sketch

ese places in trust for the nation, in one sense. You lift your h

hed, and said somet

as man; and yet in years she was inferior to both. Though becomingly girlish and modest, she appe

Mr. Somerset befo

ss in my defence yesterday. I suppose I

d spoke of some domestic matter, upon which Somerset withdrew, Paula accompanying

sumed her journey to Markton. But when the horses had been standing a long time the carriage was driven round to the stables. Th

very dusty condition in which he found himself after his morning's labours among the old carvings he was r

arently had a very high opinion. This lady, who seemed to be a mere dummy in the establishment, was, as he now learnt, Mrs. Goodman by name, a widow of a recently deceased gentleman, and aunt to Paula-the identical aunt who had smuggled Paula into a church in her helpless infancy, and had her christened without her parents' knowledge. Having been left

lack and white, was short, allowing her feet to appear. There was something in her look, and in the style of her corsage, which reminded him

d, pointing in the direction of the traceried oak division between the dining-hall and a vestibule a

h century, of cour

of the profession, perhaps?' a

m an architect?' s

asant until this moment, when he smiled; whereupon there instantly gle

ed, with slow

-hall, and passing through a village on my way I saw the workmen pulling down a chancel-wall in which they found imbedded a unique specimen of

one of the educated young man who has yet to learn diplomacy. 'I have never s

it!' said Mr. H

take as guide?' she asked. 'Are Perpendicular cap

circumstances,'

seldom or never any marked undercutting in moulded w

fine Saxon vaulting you did me the honour to consult me about the other day, I should

ve passed away, and those stones have become stained like the rest, people will be

referred not to enter into this discussion with another professional man, even though that man were a spurious article; but he was led on to enthusias

s Saxon here,' he said warmly. 'There is not a square i

ubt, looked

that gentleman slowly. 'Every stone of th

wall in this castle of a date anterior to the year 1100; no one whose attention has ever

erence, for I have history herself on my side. What will you say when I tell you that it is a recorded fact tha

deny that there may have been a castle here in the time of the Romans: what

alogue between Mrs. Goodman and the minister, during which Paula

chitectural dates? Now, would you really risk anything on your belief? Would you agree to b

ty from the details. That they should have been built before the Conquest is as unlikely as, s

cise of an art which makes one s

d from one to the other during the discussion, though she might have been supposed to have a prescriptive right to a few remarks on the matter. A commo

practice, I

in practic

begi

bout to

on, or n

don pro

m practising

ve you been

lady's late father; it was my first undertaking-I owe

sketched a good

hen I became a builder, then I was a road contractor. Every architect might do worse than have some such experience. But nowadays 'tis the men who can draw pretty pictures who get recommended, not the practical men. Young prigs win Institute medals for a pretty

his statement was true, he heard the vo

t, Somerset saw in the mead beyond the dry d

o called about taking views o

in the village and asked me to suggest him some

a Canadian,'

s from the East-at leas

ightly. 'For he spoke to me with an Italian accent

time attracted by the subject. 'I accidentally met him in the lane, and he said something to me about

blicly for the first time. 'He asked me this morning to send him out a pail of water fo

'that he is a being of no age, n

nto a civil sneer. 'That is, he would be, if he we

rmly. 'For I lived in Markton for thirty years ending

harlotte,' said Paula, smili

n whose face a delicate nervous bl

a likeness, now I thi

ot a nice enough person to be like you. He is really more like one or other of

ed Somerset. 'To an observant person they often repeat themselves;

ed round his instrument in the mead and busied himself with an arrangement of curtains and len