"
The break was driven round in due course, with Uxmoor's team harnessed to
it. It was followed by a dog-cart crammed with grooms, Uxmoorian and
Vizardian. The break was padded and cushioned, and held eight or nine
people very comfortably.. It was, indeed, a sort of picnic van, used only
in very fine weather. It rolled on beautiful springs. Its present
contents were Miss Gale and her luggage and two hampers full of good
things for her; Vizard, Severne, and Miss Dover. Zoe sat on the box
beside Lord Uxmoor. They drove through the village, and Mr. Severne was
so obliging as to point out its beauties to Miss Gale. She took little
notice of his comments, except by a stiff nod every now and then, but
eyed each house and premises with great keenness.
At last she stopped his fluency by inquiring whether he had been into
them all; and when he said he had not, she took advantage of that
admission to inform him that in two days' time she should be able to tell
him a great deal more than he was likely to tell her, upon his method of
inspecting villages.
"That is right," said Vizard; "snub him: he gets snubbed too little here.
How dare he pepper science with his small-talk? But it is our fault--we
admire his volubility.
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