174 IN THE GREEN LEAF 



The interiors and exteriors remain as they 

 were when the houses were built generations 

 back, but the low ceilings and beams have 

 been papered with the latest of paper decora- 

 tions, the old diamond pattern lead-light win- 

 dows have been taken out and replaced by 

 fret lead-lights of mediaeval pattern, and the 

 furniture has been made to suit the age that 

 the houses were built in the heavy gables, 

 quarterings, and massive old oak beams being 

 painted a dark aesthetic green. What the exact 

 name may be, we do not know, but in our 

 young days this went by the name of " bottle- 

 green " a compound it is of yellow ochre and 

 lamp-black. To contrast with this sombre 

 tone of colour, the rough - cast, in between 

 the quarterings, had been coloured a delicate 

 salmon-colour, which is now known, I believe, 

 as cerise. All this is very idealistic in the 

 bright summer-time, and history records some 

 high-handed doings that were carried on in 

 this vicinity, when princes and nobles hunted 

 here with hawk and hound ; but folks do not 

 stay here in the winter, when the waters rush 

 down from the hills and flood the roads, if 

 they can help it. Before the leaves are quite 

 off the trees, the owners of the cosily fur- 



