a new piano immediately; it
was ridiculous to harbour an instrument which was merely a nesting place
for mice. He returned to the dining-room, poured himself out a stiff
whiskey and soda, and dozed over his _Spectator_ for the rest of the
evening. Yet, next morning, even in the unromantic light of day, he was
surprised to find that his plan of doing up the drawing-room still held
good.

He had intended to ride into Wetherton that day to try his new mare
across country, for the gates were high in that direction and good
enough to test her powers as a jumper. A glance at the glistening frost
on the grass soon sufficed, however, to tell him that his scheme could
not be carried out; nor was he sorry until, having spent the morning on
his farms and inspected everything and everybody at his leisure, it
occurred to him with a desperate sense of conviction that there was
still the afternoon to be filled in somehow. About three he set off in
the direction of the village, looked in at the church and had a brief
colloquy with Seaton regarding the new pews which were being put up,
interviewed the postmaster, condoled with the blacksmith upon the death
of his wife, and even ventured down as far as the marsh to see if the
new carrier who had taken the place of old Dick Tomlinson was likely to
fulfil his duties properly. About four o'clock he found himself once
more opposite 'The Retreat.' It was on the main road certainly, but it
was only recently that he had become aware of its importance in the
landscape. One could not get to the marsh or come back from it without
passing it. The windows looked as trim as ever--trimmer perhaps, for
short muslin curtains interspaced with embroidery seemed to have sprung
up in the night. They were very decorative in their way; at the same
time they quite shut out all prospect of the interior, and there was no
workbox, piano, or suggestion of tea things to be seen to-day. The
foreign dogs were snuffling in the garden as he passed the second time,
and one of them nosed its way through the iron gate and ventured a few
yards down the road, but just as the squire had made up his mind it was
his duty to take it back, it returned of its own accord. He watched the
trim maid come out and call them as she had done the day before, and saw
them rush after her frolicking round her skirt.

Suddenly he crossed the road, looked up and down to make sure there was
no acquaintance within sight, opened the iron gate o