And now we walked along a spacious corridor, and descended a splendid stair of white marble, with gilded banisters, and across an octagon hall, with a pyramid of flowering plants in the centre, and into a large gallery with armor on the walls, that I wished greatly to linger over and examine, and then into a billiard-room, and at last into the small breakfast-parlor, where a little table was laid out, and another servant stood in readiness to serve me.
“Mr. Eccles, sir, will be down in a moment, if you 'll be pleased to wait for him,” said the man.
“And who is Mr. Eccles?” asked I.
“The gentleman as is to be your tutor, sir, I believe,” replied he, timidly; “and he said perhaps you 'd make the tea, sir.”
“All right,” said I, opening the caddy, and proceeding to make myself at home at once. “What is here?”
“Devilled kidneys, sir; and this is fried mackerel. Mr. Eccles takes oysters; but he won't have them opened till he's down. Here he is, sir.”
The door was now flung open, and a good-looking young man, with a glass stuck in one eye, entered, and with a cheery but somewhat affected voice, called out,—
“Glad to see you, Digby, my boy; hope I have not starved you out waiting for me?”
“I'm very hungry, sir, but not quite starved out,” said I, half amazed at the style of man selected to be my guide, and whose age at most could not be above three or four and twenty.
“You haven't seen your father yet, of course, nor won't these two hours. Yes, Gilbert, let us have the oysters. I always begin with oysters and a glass of sauterne; and, let me tell you, your father's sauterne is excellent Not that I counsel you, however, to start with wine at breakfast. I have n't told you that I 'm to be your tutor,” said he, filling his glass; “and here's to our future fellowship.”