That
was a delicious hour, when the mind, still unsated of sleep, played
softly with happy, homelike thoughts. He slept again, but the sweet
mood lasted; his breakfast was served to him in solitude in a
little panelled parlour off the Hall; and in the fresh April
morning, with the sunlight lying on the lawn and lighting up the
old worn detail of the carved cornices, he recovered for a time the
boyish sense of ecstasy of the first morning at home after the
return from school. While he was breakfasting, a scribbled note
from Jack was brought in.
"Just heard you arrived last night; it's an awful bore, but I have
to go away to-day--an old engagement made, I need hardly say, FOR
me and not BY me; I shall turn up to-morrow about this time. No
WORK, I think. A day of calm resolution and looking forward
manfully to the future! My father and sister are going to dine at
the Manor to-night. I shall be awfully interested to hear what you
think of them. He has been looking up some things to talk about,
and I can tell you, you'll have a dose. Maud is frightened to
death.--Yours "Jack.
"P.S.--I advise you to begin COUNTING at once."
A little later, Miss Merry turned up, to ask Howard if he would
care to look round the house. "Mrs. Graves would like," she said,
"to show it you herself, but she is easily tired, and can't stand
about much." They went round together, and Howard was surprised to
find that it was not nearly as large a house as it looked.
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