"You will find, sir," said Mr. Leek, "that everything about Anderbury is
extremely select, and amazingly correct; and I am sure a more delightful
place to live in could not be found." "Ah!" said the baron; "very likely." "It's lively, too," continued Mr. Leek; "very lively; and there are two
chapels of ease, besides the church." "That's a drawback," said the baron. "A drawback, sir! well, I am sorry I mentioned it; but perhaps you are a
Roman Catholic, sir, and, in that case, the chapels of ease have no
interest for you." "Not the slightest; but do not, sir, run away with any assumption
concerning my religious opinions, for I am not a Roman Catholic." "No, sir, no, sir; nor more am I; and, as far as I think, and my opinion
goes, I say, why shouldn't a gentleman with a large fortune be what he
likes, or nothing, if he likes that better? but here we are, sir, close
to one of the entrances of Anderbury House. There are three principal
entrances, you understand, sir, on three sides of the estate, and the
fourth side faces the sea, where there is that mysterious passage that
leads down from the grounds to the beach, which, perhaps, you have heard
of, sir." "The landlord of the inn mentioned it." "We consider it a great curiosity, sir, I can assure you, in these
parts--a very great curiosity; and it's an immense advantage to the
house, because, you see, sir, in extremely hot weather, all sorts of
provisions can be taken down there, and kept at such a very low
temperature as to be quite delightful." "That is an advantage." Mr. Leek rang the bell that hung over one of the entrances, and his
summons for admission was speedily answered by the old couple who had
charge of the premises, and then, with a view of impressing them with a
notion of the importance of the personage whom he had brought to look at
the place, he said, aloud,--

"The Baron Stoltmayor, of Saltsomething, has come to look at the
premises." This announcement was received with all due deference and respect, and
the task of showing the baron the premises at once fairly commenced. "Here you have," said Mr. Leek, assuming an oratorical attitude--"here
you have the umbrageous trees stooping down to dip their leaves in the
purling waters; here you have the sweet foliage lending a delicious
perfume to the balmy air; here you have the murmuring waterfalls playing
music of the spheres to the listening birds, who sit responsive upon the
dancing boughs; here you have all the fragrance of the briny ocean,
mingling with the scent of a bank of violets, and wrapping the senses in
Elysium; here you may never tire of an existence that presents
never-ending charms, and that, in the full enjoyment of which, you may
live far beyond the allotted span of man." "Enough--enough," said the baron. "Here you have the choicest exotics taking kindly to a soil gifted by
nature with the most extraordinary powers of production; and all that
can pamper the appetite or yield delight to the senses, is scattered
around by nature with a liberal hand. It is quite impossible that
royalty should come near the favoured spot without visiting it as a
thing of course; and I forgot to mention that a revenue is derived from
some cottages, which, although small, is yet sufficient to pay the tithe
on the whole estate." "There, there--that will do." "Here you have purling rills and cascades, and fish-ponds so redundant
with the finny tribe, that you have but to wish for sport, and it is
yours; here you have in the mansion, chambers that vie with the
accommodation of a palace--ample dormitories and halls of ancient
grandeur; here you have--"

"Stop," said the baron, "stop; I cannot be pestered in this way with
your description. I have no patience to listen to such mere words--show
me the house at once, and let me judge for myself." "Certainly, sir; oh! certainly; only I thought it right to give you a
slight description of the place as it really was: and now, sir, that we
have reached the house, I may remark that here we have--"

"Silence!" said the baron; "if you begin with here we have, I know not
when you will leave off. All I require of you is to show me the place,
and to answer any question which I may put to you concerning it. I will
draw my own conclusions, and nothing you can say, one way or another,
will affect my imagination." "Certainly, sir, certainly; I shall only be too happy to answer any
questions that may be put to me by a person of your lordship's great
intelligence; and all I can remark is, that when you reach the
drawing-room floor, any person may truly say, here you have--I really
beg your pardon, sir--I had not the slightest intention of saying here
you have, I assure you; but the words came out quite unawares, I assure
you." "Peace--peace!" cried again the baron; "you disturb me by this incessant
clatter." Thus admonished, Mr. Leek was now quiet, and allowed the baron in his
own way to make what investigation he pleased concerning Anderbury
House. The investigation was not one that could be gone over in ten minutes;
for the house was extremely extensive, and the estate altogether
presented so many features of beauty and interest, that it was
impossible not to linger over it for a considerable period of time. The grounds were most extensive, and planted with such a regard to order
and regularity, everything being in its proper place, that it was a
pleasure to see an estate so well kept. And although the baron was not a
man who said much, it was quite evident, by what little he did utter,
that he was very well pleased with Anderbury-on-the-Mount. "And now," said Mr. Leek, "I will do myself the pleasure, sir, of
showing your grace the subterranean passage." At this moment a loud ring at one of the entrance gates was heard, and
upon the man who had charge of the house answering the summons for
admission, he found that it was a gentleman, who gave a card on which
was the name of Sir John Westlake, and who desired to see the premises. "Sir John Westlake," said Mr. Leek; "oh! I recollect he did call at my
office, and say that he thought of taking Anderbury-on-the-Mount. A
gentleman of great and taste is Sir John, but I must tell him, baron,
that you have the preference if you choose to embrace it." At this moment the stranger advanced, and when he saw the baron, he
bowed courteously, upon which Mr. Leek said,--

"I regret, Sir John, that if you should take a fancy to the place, I am
compelled first of all to give this gentleman the refusal of it." "Certainly," said Sir John Westlake; "do not let me interfere with any
one. I have nearly made up my mind, and came to look over the property
again; but of course, if this gentleman is beforehand with me, I must be
content. I wish particularly to go down to the subterranean passage to
the beach, if it is not too much trouble." "Trouble! certainly not, sir.