"Do you know I took a long walk with nurse this morning; we had some business in that wood I showed you from the dining room, and I saw so many beautiful pictures _en route_; I must show you the walk. I do not think Mr. Winter knows it very well, we cross a delightful ferry to get to it, and--" The door opened and the Colonel entered. "Ah! Egerton, I have just been to your hotel, they told me you had gone out only a few minutes before, and I thought it likely you would make your way over here; I met Winter, Kate, and he dragged me off to pass sentence on a pony he wants to buy, which he described as a quiet, gentle animal Mrs. Winter might herself drive; but I saw at a glance that the creature was blind of one eye, at least, and I strongly suspect he is broken winded; however, I rather fancy Winter has set his heart on the purchase, for the pony has a shaggy picturesque appearance, and would look charmingly in a sketch, with a few autumnal trees. Oh! I feel a little fagged;--and have you done much in the way of sketching, this morning, Egerton?" "No, indeed, Colonel, I do not feel sufficiently at home here yet; I have not got my eye familiarised to the style of the place; I intend to make great progress to-morrow. I cannot tell you how charmed I am with this old town, it is so utterly dissimilar to Carrington, and its abominations." "Ah!" said the Colonel, "the tone of society is not very thorough-bred there, I suppose; but are you quite just in judging the worthy citizens, by a standard they were never intended either by nature or art to reach?" "That is a question I have never asked myself, and probably never shall." "Good breeding," continued Colonel Vernon, "must be innate often; there's Winter, you see, he has evidently risen from the ranks, yet one feels at ease in his society, and free from all chance of his rubbing you up the wrong way, as _parvenus_ are apt to do." "Winter belongs to a class distinct from, and superior to class distinctions." "We are allies, from this moment, Captain Egerton," said Miss Vernon. "By the way, Kate, Mrs. Winter wants you to drink tea with her this evening; I have promised for you and myself," observed her grandfather. "Of course, I like to drink tea at the abbey gardens; everything is so pleasant and friendly; are you to be of our party, Captain Egerton?" "I am happy to say, yes." "Then you had better join our early dinner, for Winter piques himself on keeping continental hours, and I believe his tea is considerably earlier than a London _dejeunér_" said the Colonel. "Many thanks, my dear sir, but I have already eaten a substantial luncheon, and intend acquitting myself with credit at Mrs. Winter's tea table." "Oh!" said Miss Vernon, laughing, "some prophetic vision must have warned you, that she is famous for hot cakes." "New style of life this, eh! Egerton?" "I enjoy it extremely, and you Colonel. I cannot fancy any thing more opposite to your life in Ireland."