'In the one-horse carriage, I mean, my lady. I was delighted with the way you whipped him up round the corner.'
Whipped him up round the corner! Lady Arabella could make no answer to this; so she went on talking to Mr. Gazebee. Sir Louis, repulsed, but not vanquished—resolved not to be vanquished by any Lady Arabella—turned his attention to his plate for a minute or two, and then recommenced.
'The honour of a glass of wine with you, Lady Arabella,' said he.
'I never take wine at dinner,' said Lady Arabella. The man was becoming intolerable to her, and she was beginning to fear that it would be necessary for her to fly the room, to get rid of him.
The baronet was again silent for a moment; but he was determined not to be put down.
'This is a nice-looking country about here,' said he.
'Yes; very nice,' said Mr. Gazebee, endeavouring to relieve the lady of the mansion.
'I hardly know which I like best; this, or my own place at Boxall Hill. You have the advantage here in trees, and those sort of things. But, as to the house, why, my box there is very comfortable, very. You'd hardly know the place now, Lady Arabella, if you haven't seen it since my governor bought it. How much do you think he spent about the house and grounds, pineries included, you know, and those sort of things?'
Lady Arabella shook her head.
'Now guess, my lady,' said he. But it was not to be supposed that Lady Arabella should guess on such a subject.
'I never guess,' said she, with a look of ineffable disgust.
'What do you say, Mr. Gazebee?'
'Perhaps a hundred thousand pounds.'
'What! for a house? You can't know much about money, nor yet about building, I think, Mr. Gazebee.'
'Not much,' said Mr. Gazebee, 'as to such magnificent places as Boxall Hill.'
'Well, my lady, if you won't guess, I'll tell you. It cost twenty-two thousand four hundred and nineteen pounds four shillings and eightpence. I've all the accounts exact. Now, that's a tidy lot of money for a house for a man to live in.'
Sir Louis spoke this in a loud tone, which at least commanded the attention of the table. Lady Arabella, vanquished, bowed her head, and said that it was a large sum; Mr. Gazebee went on sedulously eating his dinner; the squire was struck momentarily dumb in the middle of a long chat with the doctor; even Mr. Oriel ceased to whisper; and the girls opened their eyes
