A rambling mansion near Toronto that once belonged to a great grandson of John Jacob Astor has been restored to an elegance that the Federal Revival mansion has not seen since the "belle epoche" glory days.

By Edythe Preet

``Who'll give me $80 for this beautiful handmade Evening Star quilt?''

The auctioneer peered into the sea of faces searching for his next bidder. The offers had stopped.

``Going once, going twice ... sold for $75 to No. 15.''

It was a supreme test of self-control to sit quietly on my folding chair in the crowded hall and let others bid for the parade of treasures that were rolling across the auction block. Antique rockers, pink Depression glassware, etchings, silver tea sets, bric-a-brac by the score.

I recalled how my father once waved to my mother in a similar setting and found himself the startled owner of a Blue Willow serving dish that became our prized pasta platter.

My pulse was racing, but the woman beside me just sat calmly, waiting for the mahogany fern stand she had marked in her program. A burly fellow carried it to center stage. The bidding moved at a fast clip for this rare piece of Victoriana. My seatmate raised her numbered paddle again and again, determined to cart it away. The pace slowed. Would the man two rows over make another offer? The auctioneer pointed in our direction.

``Sold!'' The prize was hers.

The men at the loading dock greeted us warmly. My companion was obviously a regular buyer at the Tuesday night auction.

``Another treasure for Langdon Hall?''

It was more of a statement than question.

``I've got just the place for it in a corner of the reception area,'' answered my cohort, her brown eyes still gleaming with bidding fever.

Veteran treasure hunter Mary Beaton is not just an auction hound. She knows every source for rare beautiful finds in her corner of Canada's Ontario province. And no wonder. Beaton and co-owner architect, Bill Bennett, have spent the better part of a decade restoring Langdon Hall, now a member of Relais & Chateaux, the upscale hotel consortium, to a state of elegance the Federal Revival mansion had not seen since its (ITAL) belle epoche (uqTAL) glory days.

Returned from the hunt just in time for a late supper, we sat in a corner of the glass-walled dining room that had once been a wide veranda. In the subdued candlelight, its high ceilings, green walls and cascading floral stencils evoked the feeling of an airy greenhouse. Ornate floor-to-ceiling display niches held sets of heirloom china, more of Mary's trophies.

The evening inspired me to start with a chilled tomato-basil soup and spicy sorbet. While I moved on to a roasted salmon fillet bathed in an apple cider and shallot warm vinaigrette and sauteed oyster mushrooms, Bill filled me in on the estate's illustrious history.

When Bennett and Beaton decided to abandon city life and reinvent themselves as landed gentry, their search led to Langdon Hall, a 40-acre wooded estate situated a scant hour from Toronto's Pearson International Airport. Instantly, they knew they'd come home. Built in 1898 as a summer home for E. Langdon Wilks, great-grandson of the American millionaire John Jacob Astor, who once owned the renowned Waldorf Astoria in New York City, the rambling mansion had been neglected for years.

Restoration began a month after purchase. Twenty-eight additional rooms, christened The Cloisters, were constructed just inside the old garden wall with an underground tunnel connecting the new wing to the main house for convenience on wet wintry days. A boiler room was converted to a billiards room, a spa and fitness center was installed in the Cloisters, and more fireplaces were added in the original house. All but four of the 43 chambers boast a crackling hearth, more for ambience than heat because a new central heating system keeps every room at a comfortable temperature year-round.

After dinner, Bill offered to show me his favorite nook, the pine-paneled Wilk's Bar where a portrait of Langdon himself hangs proudly over the fireplace. We ordered a round of fine single malt scotch and settled into oversized armchairs, covered with fabric that sports big yellow bees forever buzzing on a black background.

``We have our own hives and gather our own honey,'' explained Mary, who had joined us. ``When I found the bumblebee fabric, I had to use it.''

Bill pointed to a row of aged photographs clustered on one wall. There were wasp-waisted women in flowing black dresses, men in top hats and celluloid collars, children in knickers and lacy, white lawn dresses. They all reminded me of Matthew Brady's Civil War studies.

``The property was acquired with many furnishings, including a family album dating back several generations. We thought our guests might like to meet the original occupants,'' said Bill.

Since childhood, I've had fantasies of having my own attic hideaway, and my room was the dream come true. It was a soaring bi-level suite nestled among the building's massive 16-foot-high rafters. Chintz-covered easy chairs flanked a fireplace. An antique Irish writing desk was tucked in a corner under the eaves. Dormer windows overlooked the garden.

A short flight of stairs led to the sleeping loft's sleigh bed with embroidered pillow shams. In the luxurious bath, piles of thick, fluffy towels were stacked alongside a huge tub, and terry dressing robes hung in the mahogany cupboard.

During this winter morning, I could easily have snuggled up in front of the fireplace all cozy and warm with a good book, but sunbeams were streaming through the windows.

I figured it was time for breakfast, instead. A full menu was offered, but I chose simplicity itself. Strawberries with a dollop of Devonshire cream, hot croissants with a smear of estate honey, fresh orange juice and a large cup of (ITAL) cafe au lait (uqTAL).

Once I was thoroughly satisfied, Bill and Mary invited me on a tour of the grounds. The local forest zone, known as Carolinian Canada, supports trees, plants and wildlife found in regions of the southern United States, and Leslie Laking, former director of the Royal Botanical Gardens in Hamilton, used its unique climate to full advantage in planning the turn-of-the-century landscape design. Fairies encircle the croquet lawn. Next to the tennis court, a new swimming pool is embraced by berry patches and a cutting garden of flowering perennials. Aromatic herbs hug the pantry wall just steps from the bustling enclave where chef Louise Duhamel works her culinary wizardry.

In season, a good bit of the magic comes from the estate's two-thirds-of-an-acre kitchen garden. In summer, cornstalks serve as a windbreak. Along the north boundary, an old fieldstone wall will soak up warmth from the sun and probably shelter peppers, tomatoes and eggplants. Within the enclosure, vegetable plots will be separated by rows of colorful kale and cabbage, tall bean tee-pees, and bold stripes of red and green lettuces. A young stand of heritage fruit trees has already provided Duhamel with ingredients for tender tarts and luscious sauces.

On hearing that deer frequent one of the four forest trails that run across the property, I was all for chucking my plan to visit some of Mary's favorite shops. Bill advised that an early-morning hike would afford the best opportunity to spy the graceful creatures, and persuaded me to have a cup of tea before heading out.

In the sun-washed conservatory, a tray of tea and hot buttered scones had been set on a clever table that, in fact, was an oversize hassock surmounted with a sheet of glass. Several were placed about the room amid groupings of whitewashed mission settees and chairs. When I admired the unusual upholstery fabric, Mary confided, ``They're actually pieces of a rug that once graced John Astor's library.''

She raised her teacup in a toast.

``The Astors will always be a part of Langdon Hall.''

INCIDENTAL INTELLIGENCE

Langdon Hall, R.R. 33 Cambridge, Ontario, Canada; tel. (800) 268-1898, (519) 740-2100; fax (519) 740-8161.

Rates: Main House, $180 to $330; Cloisters, $180 to $199. Spa treatments and packages range from $107 to $250. Country Comfort Package features two nights with full breakfasts and three-course dinners, $145 to $220 per person per night/double occupancy. Prices are quoted in U.S. dollars. All major credit cards accepted. (Edythe Preet is a free-lance writer based in Los Angeles, Calif.)

(c) 1998, Edythe Preet. Distributed by Los Angeles Times Syndicate.