The two men gazed in silence; even Pottinger, to whom his 'osses
generally represented all that was beautiful in nature, gaped with
wide-open mouth.
"How's that for lofty, you unbeliever?" demanded Stafford. "Ever seen
anything like that before?"
Howard had been considerably startled, but, of course, he concealed his
amazed admiration behind a mask of cynicism.
"Rather a crib from Val Prinsep, isn't it, with a suggestion of a Drury
Lane pantomime about it? Good heavens! And there's the Fairy Palace all
complete," he added, as, the mists still rising, was discovered on the
slope of the other side a long and extremely ornate building, the pure
whiteness of which was reflected in the marvellous blue and opal of the
lake. "Can that be Sir Stephen's 'little place'?"
"I'm afraid it is," said Stafford. "It looks like the governor," he
added, with a touch of gravity.
"Well, it's very big, or, rather, long; and it's very white, but one's
bound to admit that it doesn't spoil the landscape," said Howard; "in
fact, standing there amidst the dark-green trees, with its pinnacles
and terraces, it's rather an ornament than otherwise.
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