Emphasizing his commands with a coin, and letting Georgiana walk beside him, Everell proceeded up the avenue, the gatekeeper leading the horse. The mansion proved to be a large house in the square-built style nowadays called Georgian. Arriving before the great central door, the guide summoned a rustic-looking footman, to whom he resigned the visitors with a whispered recommendation that caused them to be received with as much respect as surprise. Their appearance was indeed sufficient cause for the latter, Everell still having an arm clasped around Georgiana in her masculine cloak and improvised veil.
They found themselves in a dimly lighted hall, at the farther end of which was a door matching that by which they had entered. There was the stairway usual to such houses, beginning along one side of the hall, crossing at the end, and finishing the ascent along the other side in the return direction. Having closed the door, the servant asked by what name he might announce my lord and her ladyship to his master.
“Tell him a gentleman and lady,” said Everell, “who are in great haste, and will not trouble him long.”
“A gentleman and lady, sir,” repeated the servant, obediently. “Begging your lordship’s pardon, but master, being in his cups, may wish to know—I mean to say, master is main hard to draw from his comforts at this time o’ night—though I dare say when I tell him you be friends of his—”
“Friends? Certainly—unless I am mistaken as to the house. But that’s easily set right:—who is your master?”
“Squire Thornby, sir; and this house is Thornby Hall.”
From Everell’s look, the servant concluded that the gentleman probably _was_ mistaken as to the house.
“But how can that be?” cried Everell. “Thornby Hall is on the other road.”
“’Tis on both roads, so to speak, sir. The two run near together just hereaways; the house looks on each. There’s two gates, you know, sir, and two lodges; the gardener lives in one, and Jenkins in t’other.”
Everell took a moment’s thought. Resolution appeared on his face.
“’Tis just as well,” he said. “Mr. Thornby is known to me by reputation. Tell him I am here, and must needs beg he will see me without delay.”
This was spoken with such an air that the servant conceived it best to carry the message at once, without a second attempt to elicit the speaker’s name. As soon as the man was gone, Everell said to Georgiana: