Lesbia came in from the verandah presently, and sat on a low stool by her grandmother's arm-chair, and talked to her in soft, cooing accents, inaudible to John Hammond, who sat a little way off turning the leaves of the _Contemporary Review_: and this went on till eleven o'clock, the regular hour for retiring, when Mary came in from the billiard-room, and told Mr.Hammond that Maulevrier was waiting for a smoke and a talk.

Then candles were lighted, and the ladies all departed, leaving John Hammond and his friend with the house to themselves.
They played a fifty game, and smoked and talked till the stroke of midnight, by which time it seemed as if there were not another creature awake in the house.

Maulevrier put out the lamps in the billiard-room, and then they went softly up the shadowy staircase, and parted in the gallery, the Earl going one way, and his friend the other.
The house was large and roomy, spread over a good deal of ground, Lady Maulevrier having insisted upon there being only two stories.

The servants' rooms were all in a side wing, corresponding with those older buildings which had been given over to Steadman and his wife, and among the villagers of Grasmere enjoyed the reputation of being haunted.

A wide panelled corridor extended from one end of the house to the other.
It was lighted from the roof, and served as a gallery for the display of a small and choice collection of modern art, which her ladyship had acquired during her long residence at Fellside.