41

CHAPTER   III.

SOME  CHANGES  OF VIEWS.

For sheer placid enjoyment and pleasantness
of living there is nothing like a sojourn in a
well-appointed country house, peopled by well-
assorted guests. The guests at Millstead
Manor were not perhaps particularly well-
assorted ; but nevertheless the hours passed
by in a round of quiet delights, and the long
summer days seemed in no wise tedious. The
Bishop and Mrs. Bartlett had reluctantly gone
to open the bazaar and Miss Chambers went
with them, but otherwise the party was un¬
changed ; for Morewood, who had come origin¬
ally only for the two days, had begged leave to
stay, received it on condition of showing due
respect to everybody's prejudices, telegraphed
for his materials, and was fitfully busy making
sketches, not of Lady Claudia, to her undis¬
guised annoyance, but of Stafford, with whose
face he had been wonderfully struck. Stafford
himself was the only one of the party, besides
his artistic tormentor, who had not abandoned
himself to the charms of idleness. His great
work was understood to make rapid progress