Amongst the many plans which had been set on foot for the amusement of
the guests at Raynham, there was one on which all the visitors, male
and female, had especially set their hearts. This much-talked-of
entertainment was a pic-nic, to take place at a celebrated spot, whose
picturesque loveliness was supposed to be unrivalled in the county, and
scarcely exceeded by any scene in all the expanse of fair England.
CHAPTER VIII.
AFTER THE PIC-NIC.
The place was called the Wizard's Cave. It was a gigantic grotto, near
which flowed a waterfall of surpassing beauty. A wild extent of
woodland stretched on one side of this romantic scene; on the other a
broad moor spread wide before a range of hills, one of which was
crowned by the ruins of an old Norman castle that had stood many a
siege in days gone by.
It would have been difficult to select a spot better adapted for a pic-
nic; and some of the gentlemen who had ridden over to inspect the scene
were rapturous in their praises of its sylvan beauty. The cave lay
within ten miles of Raynham. "Just the distance for a delightful
drive," said the ladies--and from the moment that Sir Oswald had
proposed the entertainment, there had been perpetual discussion of the
arrangements necessary, the probability of fine weather, and the date
to be finally chosen.
Pages:
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167