s to be cleared, a desert to be reclaimed, a mansion to be
rebuilt, and a chapel to be restored.

All the carpenters, stone-cutters, bricklayers, plasterers, painters and
glaziers, upholsterers and decorators, as well as ornamental gardeners
and agricultural laborers that could be found, were at once employed at
generous wages.

And the work went on merrily, and the people blessed Horace Blondelle.

But during the progress of the work, a discovery was made that changed
the whole plan of the proprietor's life.

In the course of clearing the grounds, the workmen found a spring, whose
water was so particularly nasty that they at once suspected it to
possess curative qualities of the greatest value, and so reported it to
the proprietor.

Horace Blondelle invited the local medical faculty to taste the waters
of the spring, and their report was so favorable that he bottled up a
gallon of it, and sent it to an eminent chemist of New York, to be
analyzed.

In due time the analysis was returned. The water of the spring, it
showed, was strongly impregnated with a half dozen, more or less, of the
most nauseous minerals known to the pharmaceutists, and therefore were
of the highest medicinal virtues.

The recent discovery of this invaluable spring on the home grounds,
together with the long known existence of the magnificent cavern, or
chain of caverns, in the adjacent mountains, determined Mr. Horace
Blondelle to alter his whole scheme--to abandon the role of country
gentleman, which a very short experience proved to be too "slow" for his
"fast" tastes, and to adopt that of the proprietor of a great
watering-place, and summer resort.

And so, instead of rebuilding the family mansion, he built a large hotel
on the Dubarry manor, and instead of restoring the chapel, he erected a
pavilion over the spring.

This was not only at the time a very popular measure, but it proved in
the event a very great success.

That summer and autumn saw other changes in the valley.

First old Mr. Winterose, the overseer of the Black Valley manor, died a
calm and Christian death.

Young Robert Munson succeeded him in office.

Next lawyer Sheridan received an appointment from the President as
consul at a certain English seaport; and, no doubt with the consent of
the proprietors, he transferred the management of the Black Valley manor
to old lawyer Closeby of Blackville. And then, with his sister, he went
abroad.

Then, on the thirty-fi