"Spatter the Dew," suggested the Colonel.
"My father had a horse called Toby," said Miss Araminta Cox in a mincing voice.
"Cyclops, they say, had only one eye," I observed.
"I tell you he has the use of two," said Winter hastily.
"That is not quite clear, and Cyclops is a fine sounding name," said Kate, "I vote for Cyclops, and I shall drink his health in a glass of your gooseberry wine, Mr. Winter."
"Cyclops, be it then," sighed Winter resignedly. "Captain Egerton, you must drink Miss Vernon's toast, but not in her beverage; here's some port wine I'll answer for, I bought it myself in Oporto." We all drank success to Cyclops, and bidding our kind host and hostess good night, strolled home by moonlight. Ah! a delicious walk. Gilpin took the Colonel's arm, and Kate accepted mine. The glorious moon, not yet risen to her highest altitude, threw out the lacelike tracery of the cathedral towers into strong relief--silvering the walls here and there, leaving large masses of deep shadow, while the old gateways and arches looked like openings into an abyss of darkness. A few light clouds floated in the deep blue sky. We walked on for some moments in silence.
"The last time your hand rested on my arm, Miss Vernon, I little thought I should so soon discover what you would not reveal."
"Do you not remember how perversely you kept silence when I wanted to find out your abode?"
"Oh, yes," with a laugh, "I was so afraid you would have found out my trick, that I took care to obey poor Mrs. Winter's commands. How strangely it all turned out!"
Not much more passed between us until we passed the old church yard, where the organist left us.
"Scarcely late enough for ghosts," said the Colonel, with a smile, "but Kate would rather like to meet one."
"Not I," said Miss Vernon; "anything troubled, as ghosts always are, would be terribly out of place this calm heavenly night; though to be sure we have a black monk who walks up and down our garden from sunset till cock crow."
"There is something strangely attractive in the romantic antiquity of your domicile. I fancy it must exercise some influence on one's spirits," said I, smiling.
"Indeed, Captain Egerton, I often tell grandpapa that I am sure we are influenced by locality as well as everything else."