第1章

byKateDouglasWiggin

SHE

WINCHESTER,May28,1891

TheRoyalGardenInn。

WearedoingtheEnglishcathedraltowns,auntCeliaandI。AuntCeliahasanintensedesiretoimprovemymind。Papatoldher,whenwewereleavingCedarhurst,thathewouldn’tfortheworldhaveittoomuchimproved,andauntCeliaremarkedthat,sofarasshecouldjudge,therewasnoimmediatedanger;withwhichexchangeofhostilitiestheyparted。

Wearetravelingundertheyokeofanironitinerary,warrantedneithertobendnorbreak。ItwasmadeoutbyayoungHighChurchcurateinNewYork,andifithadbeenblessedbyallthebishopsandpopesitcouldnotbemoresacredtoauntCelia。SheisawfullyHighChurch,andIbelieveshethinksthistourofthecathedralswillgivemeatasteforritualandbringmeintothetruefold。I

havebeenhearingdearoldDr。Kyleagreatdeallately,andauntCeliasaysthatheisthemostdangerousUnitariansheknows,becausehehasleaningstowardsChristianity。

Longago,inheryouth,shewasengagedtoayoungarchitect。He,withhistrianglesandT—squaresandthings,succeededinmakinganimaginaryscale—drawingofherheart(uptothattimeavirginforest,anunmappedterritory),whichenabledhimtoenterinandsetupapedestalthere,onwhichhehasremainedeversince。Hehasbeenonlyamemoryformanyyears,tobesure,forhediedattheageoftwenty—six,beforehehadhadtimetobuildanythingbutaliverystableandacountryhotel。Thisisfortunate,onthewhole,becauseauntCeliathinkshewasdestinedtoestablishAmericanarchitectureonahigherplane,——riditofitsbase,time—

serving,imitativeinstincts,andwaftittoaheightwhere,inthecourseofcenturies,weshouldhavebeenreveredandfollowedbyallthenationsoftheearth。Iwenttoseetheliverystable,afteroneoftheseMiriam—likeflightsofprophecyonthemight—have—been。

Itisn’tfairtojudgeaman’spromisebyoneperformance,andthatonealiverystable,soIshallsaynothing。

ThissentimentaboutarchitectureandthisfondnessfortheverytoppingestHighChurchritualcauseauntCeliatolookontheEnglishcathedralswithsolemnityandreverentialawe。Shehasgivenmeafatnotebook,with\"KatharineSchuyler\"stampedingoldlettersontheRussialeathercover,andalockandkeytoprotectitsfeminineconfidences。Iamnotatallthesortofgirlwhomakesnotes,andIhavetoldherso;butshesaysthatImustatleastrecordmypassingimpressions,iftheyareeversotrivialandcommonplace。

IwantedtogodirectlyfromSouthamptontoLondonwiththeAbbotts,ourshipfriends,wholeftusyesterday。RoderickAbbottandIhadhadacharmingtimeonboardship(morecharmingthanauntCeliaknows,becauseshewasveryill,andhernaturalpowersofchaperoningwereseverelyimpaired),andtheprospectofseeingLondonsightstogetherwasnotunpleasing;butRoderickAbbottisnotinauntCelia’sitinerary,whichreads:\"Winchester,Salisbury,Wells,Bath,Bristol,Gloucester,Oxford,London,Ely,Lincoln,York,Durham。\"

AuntCeliaisoneofthosepersonswhoareborntocommand,andwhentheyarethrownincontactwiththosewhoareborntobecommandedallgoesasmerryasamarriagebell;otherwisenot。

SohereweareatWinchester;andIdon’tmindalltheRoderickAbbottsintheuniverse,nowthatIhaveseentheRoyalGardenInn,itsprettycoffee—roomopeningintotheold—fashionedgarden,withitsbordersofclovepinks,itsaviaries,anditsblossominghorse—

chestnuts,greattoweringmassesofpinkbloom!

AuntCeliahasdriventoSt。CrossHospitalwithMrs。Benedict,anestimableladytouristwhomshe\"pickedup\"enroutefromSouthampton。Iamtired,andstayedathome。Icannotwriteletters,becauseauntCeliahastheguide—books,soIsitbythewindowinindolentcontent,watchingthedearlittleschoolladdies,withtheirshortjacketsandwidewhitecollars;theyalllooksojolly,androsy,andclean,andkissable!Ishouldliketokissthechambermaid,too!Shehasapinkprintdress;nobangs,thankgoodness(it’scuriousourservantscan’tleavethatdeformitytotheupperclasses),butshiningbrownhair,plumpfigure,softvoice,andamostengagingwayofsaying,\"Yes,miss?Anythinkmore,miss?\"IlongtoaskhertositdowncomfortablyandbeEnglish,whileIstudyherasatype,butofcourseImustn’t。

SometimesIwishIcouldretirefromtheworldforaseasonanddowhatIlike,\"surroundedbythegeneralcomfortofbeingthoughtmad。\"

Anelegant,irreproachable,high—mindedmodelofdignityandreservehasjustknockedandinquiredwhatwewillhavefordinner。ItisveryembarrassingtogiveorderstoapersonwholookslikeajudgeoftheSupremeCourt,butIsaidlanguidly,\"Whatwouldyousuggest?\"

\"Howwouldyoulikeaclearsoup,agoodspringsoup,tobeginwith,miss?\"

\"Verymuch。\"

\"Andabitofturbotnext,miss?\"

\"Yes,turbot,byallmeans,\"Isaid,mymouthwateringattheword。

\"Andwhatforaroast,miss?Wouldyouenjoyayoungduckling,miss?\"

\"Justthething;andfordessert\"——Icouldn’tthinkwhatweoughttohavefordessertinEngland,butthehigh—mindedmodelcoughedapologeticallyandsaid,\"Iwasthinkingyoumightlikegooseberrytartandcreamforasweet,miss。\"

OhthatIcouldhaveventedmyNewWorldenthusiasminashriekofdelightasIheardthoseintoxicatingwords,heretoforemetonlyinEnglishnovels!

\"Ye—es,\"Isaidhesitatingly,thoughIwaspalpitatingwithjoy,\"I

fancyweshouldlikegooseberrytart(hereabrightideaenteredmymind)andperhapsincasemyauntdoesn’tcareforthegooseberrytart,youmightbringalemonsquash,please。\"

NowIhadnevermetalemonsquashpersonally,butIhadoftenheardofit,andwishedtoshowmyfamiliaritywithBritishculinaryart。

\"Onelemonsquash,miss?\"

\"Oh,astothat,itdoesn’tmatter,\"Isaidhaughtily;\"bringasufficientnumberfortwopersons。\"

***

AuntCeliacamehomeinthehighestfeather。ShehadtwicebeentakenforanEnglishwoman。Shesaidshethoughtthatlemonsquashwasadrink;Ithoughtitwasapie;butweshallfindoutatdinner,for,asIsaid,Iorderedasufficientnumberfortwopersons。

Atfouro’clockweattendedeven—songatthecathedral。IshallnotsaywhatIfeltwhenthewhite—surplicedboychoirentered,windingdownthosevaultedaisles,orwhenIheardforthefirsttimethatintonedservice,withallits\"witchcraftofharmonicsound。\"Isatquitebymyselfinahighcarved—oakseat,andthehourwaspassedinatranceofserenedelight。Idonothavemanyopinions,itistrue,butpapasaysIamalwaysstrongonsentiments;nevertheless,IshallnotattempttotellevenwhatIfeelinthesenewandbeautifulexperiences,forithasbeenbettertoldathousandtimes。

Therewereagreatmanypeopleatservice,andalargenumberofAmericansamongthem,Ishouldthink,thoughwesawnofamiliarfaces。Therewasoneparticularlyniceyoungman,wholookedlikeaBostonian。Hesatoppositeme。Hedidn’tstare,——hewastoowellbred;butwhenIlookedtheotherway,helookedatme。OfcourseI

couldfeelhiseyes,——anybodycan,atleastanygirlcan;butI

attendedtoeverywordoftheservice,andwasasgoodasanangel。

Whentheprocessionhadfiledoutandthelaststrainofthegreatorganhadrumbledintosilence,wewentonatourthroughthecathedral,aheterogeneousband,headedbyaconscientiousoldvergerwhodidhisbesttoenlightenus,andsucceededinvirtuallyspoilingmypleasure。

Afterwehadfinished(thinkof\"finishing\"acathedralinanhourortwo!),auntCeliaandI,withoneortwoothers,wanderedthroughthebeautifulclose,lookingattheexteriorfromeverypossiblepoint,andcomingatlasttoacertainruinedarchwhichisveryfamous。Itdidnotstrikemeasbeingremarkable。Icouldmakeanynumberofthemwithapattern,withouttheleasteffort。Butatanyrate,whentoldbythevergertogazeuponthebeautiesofthiswonderfulrelicandtremble,wewereobligedtogazealsouponthebeautiesoftheaforesaidniceyoungman,whowassketchingit。Asweturnedtogoaway,auntCeliadroppedherbag。Itisoneofthosedetestable,all—absorbing,all—devouring,thoroughlyrespectable,butneverproudBostonbags,madeofblackclothwithleathertrimmings,\"C。VanT。\"embroideredontheside,andthetopdrawnupwithstoutcordswhichpassovertheBostonwristorarm。

Asforme,Iloathethem,andwouldnotforworldsbeseencarryingone,thoughIdoslipagreatmanynecessariesintoauntCelia’s。

Ihastenedtopickupthehorridthing,forfeartheniceyoungmanwouldfeelobligedtodoitforme;but,inmyindecoroushaste,I

caughtholdofthewrongendandemptiedtheentirecontentsonthestoneflagging。AuntCeliadidn’tnotice;shehadturnedwiththeverger,lestsheshouldmissasinglewordofhisinspiredtestimony。Sowescrambledupthearticlestogether,theniceyoungmanandI;andoh,IhopeImayneverlookuponhisfaceagainTherewereprayer—booksandguide—books,abottleofsodaminttablets,aspoolofdentalfloss,aBathbun,abitofgrayfrizzthatauntCeliapinsintohersteamercap,aspectaclecase,abrandyflask,andabonbonbox,whichbrokeandscatteredclovesandcardamomseeds。(IhopeheguessedauntCeliaisadyspeptic,andnotintemperate!)Allthiswashopelesslyvulgar,butIwouldn’thavemindedanythingiftherehadnotbeenaDuchessnovel。Ofcoursehethoughtthatitbelongedtome。Hecouldn’thaveknownauntCeliawascarryingitforthataccidentalMrs。Benedict,withwhomshewenttoSt。CrossHospital。

Afterscoopingthecardamomseedsoutofthecracksinthestoneflagging,hehandedmethetattered,disreputable—lookingcopyof\"A

ModernCirce\"withabowthatwouldn’thavedisgracedaChesterfield,andthenwentbacktohiseasel,whileIfledafterauntCeliaandherverger。

Memoranda:TheWinchesterCathedralhasthelongestnave。Theinsideismoresuperbthantheoutside。IzaakWaltonandJaneAustenareburiedthere。

HE

WINCHESTER,May28,1891

TheWhiteSwan。

AssureasmynameisJackCopley,Isawtheprettiestgirlintheworldto—day,——anAmerican,too,orI’mgreatlymistaken。Itwasinthecathedral,whereIhavebeensketchingforseveraldays。Iwassittingintheendofaseat,atafternoonservice,whentwoladiesenteredbythesidedoor。Theancientmaiden,evidentlytheheadofthefamily,settledherselfdevoutly,andtheyoungonestoleoffbyherselftooneoftheoldcarvedseatsbackofthechoir。Shewasworsethanpretty!Itookasketchofherduringservice,asshesatunderthedarkcarved—oakcanopy,withthisLatininscriptionoverherhead:—

CARLTONCUM

DOLBY

LETANIA

IXSOLIDORUM

SUPERFLUMINA

CONFITEBORTIBI

DUCPROBATI

Thereoughttobealawagainstawoman’smakingapictureofherself,unlesssheiswillingtositandbesketched。

Ablackandwhitesketchdoesn’tgiveanydefiniteideaofthischarmer’scharms,butsometimeI’llfillitin,——hair,sweetlittlehat,gown,andeyes,allingoldenbrown,acapeoftawnysableslippingoffherarm,aknotofyellowprimrosesinhergirdle,carved—oakbackground,andtheafternoonsuncomingthroughastained—glasswindow。GreatJove!Shehadamostcuriouseffectonme,thatgirl!Ican’texplainit,——verycurious,altogethernew,andratherpleasant!Whenoneofthechoirboyssang,\"Ohforthewingsofadove!\"atearrolledoutofoneofherlovelyeyesanddownhersmoothbrowncheek。Iwouldhavegivenalargeportionofmymodestmonthlyincomeforthefelicityofwipingawaythatteardropwithoneofmynewhandkerchiefs,markedwithatremendous\"C\"bymyprettysister。

Anhourortwolatertheyappearedagain,——thedragon,whoanswerstothenameof\"auntCelia,\"andthe\"nut—brownmayde,\"whocomeswhenyoucallher\"Katharine。\"Iwassketchingaruinedarch。ThedragondroppedherunmistakablyBostonbag。IexpectedtoseeencyclopaediasandRussiantractsfallfromit,butwasdisappointed。Thenut—brownmayde(whohasbeenbroughtuprigidly)

hastenedtopickupthebag,forfearthatIshouldserveherbydoingit。Shewaspunishedbyturningitinsideout,andIwasrewardedbyhelpingherpickupthearticles,whichweremanyandillassorted。MylittleromancereceivedthefirstblowwhenI

foundthatshereadstheDuchessnovels。Ithink,however,shehasthegracetobeashamedofit,forsheblushedscarletwhenIhandedher\"AModernCirce。\"IcouldhavetoldherthatsuchablushonsuchacheekwouldatoneforreadingMrs。Southworth,butI

refrained。AftershehadgoneIdiscoveredaslipofpaperwhichhadblownundersomestones。Itprovedtobeanitinerary。I

didn’treturnit。Ithoughttheymustknowwhichwaytheyweregoing;andasthiswaspreciselywhatIwantedtoknow,Ikeptitformyownuse。Sheisdoingthecathedraltowns。Iamdoingthecathedraltowns。Happythought!Whyshouldn’twedothemtogether,——weandauntCelia?

Ihadonlytenminutes——tocatchmytrainforSalisbury,butI

concludedtoruninandglanceattheregistersoftheprincipalhotels。Foundmynut—brownmaydeatonceonthepagesoftheRoyalGardenInnregister:\"MissCeliaVanTyck,Beverly,Mass。;MissKatharineSchuyler,NewYork。\"Iconcludedtostayoveranothertrain,ordereddinner,andtookanaltogetherindefensibleandinconsistentpleasureinwriting\"JohnQuincyCopley,Cambridge,Mass。,\"directlybeneaththecharmer’sautograph。

SHE

SALISBURY,June1

TheWhiteHartInn。

WeleftWinchesteronthe1。06trainyesterday,andherewearewithinsightofanothersuperbandancientpileofstone。IwantedsomuchtostopattheHighflyerInninLarkLane,butauntCeliasaidthatifweweredestituteofpersonaldignity,weatleastowedsomethingtoourancestors。AuntCeliahasatemperamentaldistrustofjoyassomethingdangerousandensnaring。Shedoesn’trealizewhatfunitwouldbetodateone’slettersfromtheHighflyerInn,LarkLane,evenifonewereobligedtoconsortwithpoachersandcockneysinordertodoit。

Weattendedserviceatthree。Themusicwaslovely,andtherewerebeautifulstained—glasswindowsbyBurne—JonesandMorris。Theverger(whenwoundupwithashilling)talkedlikeanelectricdoll。

Ifthatniceyoungmanismakingacathedraltour,likeourselves,heisn’ttakingourroute,forheisn’there。Ifhehascomeoverforthepurposeofsketching,hewouldn’tstopatsketchingonecathedral。PerhapshebeganattheotherendandworkeddowntoWinchester。Yes,thatmustbeit,fortheEmssailedyesterdayfromSouthampton。

***

June2。

WeintendedtogotoStonehengethismorning,butitrained,sowetooka\"growler\"andwenttotheEarlofPembroke’scountryplacetoseethepictures。Hadadelightfulmorningwiththemagnificentantiques,curios,andportraits。TheVanDyckroomisajoyforever。Therewereothervisitors;nobodywholookedespeciallyinteresting。Don’tlikeSalisburysowellasWinchester。Don’tknowwhy。Weshalldrivethisafternoon,ifitisfair,andgotoWellsto—morrow。MustreadBaedekeronthebishop’spalace。Ohdear!ifonecouldonlyhaveagoodtimeandnottrytoknowanything!

Memoranda:Thiscathedralhasthehighestspire。Remember:

Winchester,longestnave;Salisbury,highestspire。

TheLancetstyleisthosecurvedlinesmeetinginaroundingorasharppointlikethis[drawingliketwoverycircularn’snexttoeachother]

andthenjoinedtogetherlikethis:

\\/\\/\\/

thewaytheyusedtoscallopflannelpetticoats。Gothiclooksliketrianglesmeetingtogetherinvariousspotsandjoinedwithbeautifulsortofornamentedknobs。IthinkIknowGothicwhenI

seeit。ThenthereisNorman,EarlyEnglish,fullydevelopedEarlyEnglish,EarlyandLatePerpendicular,andTransition。AuntCeliaknowsthemallapart。

HE

SALISBURY,June3

TheRedLion。

Iwentoffonalongtrampthisafternoon,andcomingonaprettyriverflowingthroughgreenmeadows,withafringeoftreesoneitherside,Isatdowntomakeasketch。Iheardfemininevoicesinthevicinity,but,asthesearegenerallyapartofthelandscapeinthetouristseason,Ipaidnospecialnotice。Suddenlyadaintypatent—leathershoefloatedtowardsmeonthesurfaceofthestream。

Itevidentlyhadjustdroppedin,foritwasrightsideupwithcare,andwasdisportingitselfrightmerrily。\"DideverJove’streedropsuchfruit?\"Iquoted,asIfisheditoutonmystick;andjustthenIheardadistressedvoicesaying,\"Oh,auntCelia,I’velostmysmartlittleLondonshoe。Iwassittinginatree,takingapebbleoutoftheheel,whenIsawacaterpillar,andIdroppeditintotheriver,theshoe,youknow,notthecaterpillar。\"Hereuponshecameinsight,andIwitnessedthesomewhatunusualspectacleofmynut—brownmaydehoppingononefoot,likeadivinestork,andeverandanonemittingafeminineshriekasherofffoot,cladinadelicatesilkstocking,cameincontactwiththeground。Irosequickly,and,polishingthepatentleatherostentatiously,insideandout,withmyhandkerchief,Iofferedittoherwithdistinguishedgrace。Sheswayedonheronefootwithasmuchdignityaspossible,andthenrecognizingmeasthepersonwhopickedupthecontentsofauntCelia’sbag,shesaid,dimplinginthemostdistractingmanner(that’sanotherthingthereoughttobealawagainst),\"Thankyouagain;youseemtobeasortofknight—

errant!\"

\"ShallI——assistyou?\"Iasked。(Imighthaveknownthatthiswasgoingtoofar。)

\"No,thankyou,\"shesaid,withpolarfrigidity。\"Good—afternoon。\"

AndshehoppedbacktoherauntCeliawithoutanotherword。

Idon’tknowhowtoapproachauntCelia。Sheisformidable。Byacuriousaccidentoffeature,forwhichsheisnotintheleastresponsible,shealwayswearsanunfortunateexpressionasofoneperceivingsomeoffensiveodorintheimmediatevicinity。Thismaybeamereaccidentofhighbirth。Itisthekindofnoseoftenseeninthe\"firstfamilies,\"andhernamebetraysthefactthatsheisofgoodoldKnickerbockerorigin。WegotoWellsto—morrow。AtleastIthinkwedo。

SHE

GLOUCESTER,June9

TheSpreadEagle。

ImethimatWells,andagainatBath。Wearealwaysbeingridiculous,andheisalwaysrescuingus。AuntCelianeverreallyseeshim,andthusneverrecognizeshimwhenheappearsagain,alwaysastheflowerofchivalryandguardianofladiesindistress。

Iwillneveragaintravelabroadwithoutaman,evenifIhavetohireonefromaFeeble—MindedAsylum。Weworklikegalleyslaves,auntCeliaandI,findingoutabouttrainsandthings。NeitherofuscanunderstandBradshaw,andIcan’tevengrapplewiththelesserintricaciesoftheABCrailwayguide。Thetrains,sofarasIcansee,alwaysarrivebeforetheygoout,andIcannevertellwhethertoreadupthepageordown。Itiscertainlyveryqueerthatthestupidestmanthatbreathes,onethatbarelyescapesidiocy,candisentanglearailwayguide,whenthebrightestwomanfails。EventheBootsattheinninWellstookmybook,and,rubbinghisfrightfullydirtyfingerdowntherowofpuzzlingfigures,foundtheplaceinaminute,andsaid,\"Thereyeare,miss。\"Itisveryhumiliating。AllthetimeIhaveleftfromthestudyofroutesandhotelsIspendonguide—books。NowI’msurethatifanyoneofthemenIknowwerehere,hecouldtellmeallthatisnecessaryaswewalkalongthestreets。Idon’tsayitinafrivolousorsentimentalspiritintheleast,butIdoaffirmthatthereishardlyanyjunctureinlifewhereoneisn’tbetteroffforhavingamanabout。IshouldneverdaredivulgethistoauntCelia,forshedoesn’tthinkmenverynice。Sheexcludesthemfromconversationasiftheywereindelicatesubjects。

But,togoon,wewerestandingatthedoorofYeOldeBellandHorns,atBath,waitingfortheflywhichwehadorderedtotakeustothestation,whenwhoshoulddriveupinafour—wheelerbuttheflowerofchivalry。AuntCeliawassayingveryaudibly,\"Weshallcertainlymissthetrainifthemandoesn’tcomeatonce。\"

\"Praytakethisfly,\"saidtheflowerofchivalry。\"Iamnotleavingtillthenexttrain。\"

AuntCeliagotinwithoutamurmur;Isneakedinafterher。Idon’tthinkshelookedathim,thoughshedidvouchsafetheremarkthatheseemedtobeacivilsortofperson。

AtBristol,Iwaswalkingaboutbymyself,andIespiedasign,\"MarthaHuggins,LicensedVictualer。\"Itwasanice,tidylittleshop,withafireonthehearthandflowersinthewindow,and,asitwasrainingsmartly,IthoughtnoonewouldcatchmeifIsteppedinsidetochatwithMartha。IfancieditwouldbesodelightfulandDickensytotalkquietlywithalicensedvictualerbythenameofMarthaHuggins。

JustafterIhadsettledmyself,theflowerofchivalrycameinandorderedale。Iwasdisconcertedatbeingfoundinadramshopalone,forIthought,afterthebagepisode,hemightfancyusafamilyofinebriates。Buthedidn’tevincetheslightestastonishment;hemerelyliftedhishat,andwalkedoutafterhehadfinishedhisale。

Hecertainlyhastheloveliestmanners!

Andsoitgoeson,andwenevergetanyfurther。IlikehispolitenessandhisevidentfeelingthatIcan’tbeflirtedandtalkedwithlikeaforwardboarding—schoolmiss,butImustsayI

don’tthinkmuchofhisingenuity。Ofcourseonecan’thaveallthevirtues,but,ifIwerehe,Iwouldpartwithmydistinguishedair,mycharmingease,infactalmostanything,ifIcouldhaveinexchangeafewgrainsofcommonsense,justenoughtoguidemeinthepracticalaffairsoflife。

Iwonderwhatheis?Hemightbeanartist,buthedoesn’tseemquitelikeanartist;oradilettante,buthedoesn’tseemintheleastlikeadilettante。Orhemightbeanarchitect;Ithinkthatisthemostprobableguessofall。Perhapsheisonly\"goingtobe\"

oneofthesethings,forhecan’tbemorethantwenty—fiveortwenty—six。Stillhelooksasifheweresomethingalready;thatis,hehasakindofself—relianceinhismien,——notself—assertion,norself—esteem,butbeliefinself,asifhewereable,andknewthathewasable,toconquercircumstances。

HE

GLOUCESTER,June10

TheBell。

Nothingaccomplishedyet。HerauntisaVanTyck,andastiffone,too。IamaCopley,andthatdelaysmatters。Muchdependsuponthemannerofapproach。Afalsemovewouldbefatal。Wehavesixmoretowns(asperitinerary),andiftheirthirstforcathedralsisn’tslakedwhenthesearefinishedwehavetheentirecontinenttodo。

IfIcouldonlysucceedinmakinganimpressionontheretinaofauntCelia’seye!ThoughIhavebeenunderherfeetfortendays,sheneveryethasobservedme。Thisabsent—mindednessofhersservesmeillnow,butitmayproveablessinglateron。

SHE

OXFORD,June12

TheMitre。

ItwashereinOxfordthatagrainofcommonsenseenteredthebrainoftheflowerofchivalry。Youmightcallitthedawnofreason。

WehadspentpartofthemorninginHighStreet,\"thenoblestoldstreetinEngland,\"asourdearHawthornecallsit。AsWordsworthhadwrittenasonnetaboutit,auntCeliawasarmedforthefray,——avolumeofWordsworthinonehand,andoneofHawthorneintheother。

(IwishBaedekerdidn’tgivesuchfullinformationaboutwhatoneoughttoreadbeforeonecanapproachtheseplacesinaproperspirit。)WhenwehaddoneHighStreet,wewenttoMagdalenCollege,andsatdownonabenchinAddison’sWalk,whereauntCeliaproceededtostoremymindwiththeprincipalfactsofAddison’scareer,andhisinfluenceontheliteratureofthesomethingorothercentury。Thecrammingprocessover,wewanderedalong,andcameupon\"him\"sketchingashadycornerofthewalk。

AuntCeliawentupbehindhim,and,VanTyckthoughsheis,shecouldnotrestrainheradmirationofhiswork。Iwassurprisedmyself:Ididn’tsupposesogoodlookingayouthcoulddosuchgoodwork。Iretiredtoasafedistance,andtheychattedtogether。Heofferedherthesketch;sherefusedtotakeadvantageofhiskindness。Hesaidhewould\"dashoff\"anotherthatevening,andbringittoourhotel,——\"sogladtodoanythingforafellow—

countryman,\"etc。Ipeepedfrombehindatreeandsawhimgiveherhiscard。Itwasanawfulmoment;Itrembled,butshereaditwithunmistakableapproval,andgavehimherownwithanexpressionthatmeant,\"Yoursisgood,butbeatthatifyoucan!\"

Shecalledtome,andIappeared。Mr。JohnQuincyCopley,Cambridge,waspresentedtoherniece,MissKatharineSchuyler,NewYork。Itwasover,andaverysmallthingtotakesolongabout,too。

Heisanarchitect,andofcoursehasasmoothpathintoauntCelia’saffections。Theologicalstudents,ministers,missionaries,heroes,andmartyrsshemaydistrust,butarchitectsnever!

\"Heisanarchitect,mydearKatharine,andheisaCopley,\"shetoldmeafterwards。\"IneverknewaCopleywhowasnotrespectable,andmanyofthemhavebeenmore。\"

Aftertheintroductionwasover,auntCeliaaskedhimguilelesslyifhehadvisitedanyotheroftheEnglishcathedrals。Anyothers,indeed!Thistoayouthwhohadbeenallbutinherlapforafortnight!Itwasablow,butheralliedbravely,and,withanamusedlookinmydirection,replieddiscreetlythathehadvisitedmostofthematonetimeoranother。IrefusedtolethimseethatIhadevernoticedhimbefore;thatis,particularly。

Memoranda:\"Theverystonesandmortarofthishistorictownseemimpregnatedwiththespiritofrestfulantiquity。\"(ExtractfromoneofauntCelia’sletters。)AmongthegreatmenwhohavestudiedherearethePrinceofWales,DukeofWellington,Gladstone,SirRobertPeel,SirPhilipSidney,WilliamPenn,JohnLocke,thetwoWesleys,Ruskin,BenJonson,andThomasOtway。(LookOtwayup。)

HE

OXFORD,June13

TheAngel。

Ihavedoneit,andifIhadn’tbeenafoolandacowardImighthavedoneitaweekago,andsparedmyselfagooddealofdelicioustorment。IhavejustgiventwohourstoasketchofAddison’sWalkandcarriedittoauntCeliaattheMitre。Object,tofindoutwhethertheymakealongstayinLondon(ournextpoint),andifsowhere。Itseemstheygodirectlythrough。Isaidinthecourseofconversation,\"SoMissSchuyleriswillingtoforegoaLondonseason?Marvelousself—denial!\"

\"MyniecedidnotcometoEuropeforaLondonseason,\"repliedMissVanTyck。\"WegothroughLondonthistimemerelyasacathedraltown,simplybecauseitchancestobewhereitisgeographically。

WeshallvisitSt。Paul’sandWestminsterAbbey,andthengodirectlyon,thatourchainofimpressionsmayhaveabsolutecontinuityandbefreefromanydisturbingelements。\"

Oh,butsheislovely,isauntCelia!

LINCOLN,June20

TheBlackBoyInn。

Iamstoppingatabeastlylittlehole,whichhastheonemeritofbeingoppositeMissSchuyler’slodgings。Mysketch—bookhasdeterioratedinartisticvalueduringthelasttwoweeks。Manyofitspages,whileinterestingtomeasreminiscences,willhardlydoforfamilyorstudioexhibition。IfIshouldlabelthem,theresultwouldbesomethinglikethis:—

1。SketchofafootstoolanddeskwhereIfirstsawMissSchuylerkneeling。

2。Sketchofacarved—oakchair,MissSchuylersittinginit。

3。\"AngelChoir。\"HeadsofMissSchuylerintroducedintothecarving。

4。Altarscreen。FulllengthfigureofMissSchuylerholdinglilies。

5。Tombofabishop,whereItiedMissSchuyler’sshoe。

6。Tombofanotherbishop,whereIhadtotieitagainbecauseI

diditsobadlythefirsttime。

7。Sketchoftheshoe;theshoe—lacewornoutwithmuchtying。

8。Sketchoftheblessedvergerwhocalledher\"madam,\"whenwewerewalkingtogether。

9。Sketchofherblushwhenhedidittheprettiestthingintheworld。

10。SketchofJ。Q。Copleycontemplatingtheruinsofhisheart。

\"Howarethemightyfallen!\"

SHE

LINCOLN,June22

AtMissBrown’s,CastleGarden。

Mr。CopleyHASdonesomethingintheworld;Iwassurethathehad。

Hehasalittleincomeofhisown,butheistooproudandambitioustobeanidler。Helookedsomanlywhenhetalkedaboutit,standingupstraightandstronginhisknickerbockers。Ilikemeninknickerbockers。AuntCeliadoesn’t。Shesaysshedoesn’tseehowawell—brought—upCopleycangoaboutwithhislegsinthatcondition。IwouldgiveworldstoknowhowauntCeliaeverunbentsufficientlytogetengaged。But,asIwassaying,Mr。Copleyhasaccomplishedsomething,youngasheis。Hehasbuiltthreepicturesquesuburbanchurchessuitableforweddings,andastatelunaticasylum。

AuntCeliasaysweshallhavenoworthyarchitectureuntileverybuildingismadeanexquisitelysincererepresentationofitsdeepestpurpose,——asymbol,asitwere,ofitsindwellingmeaning。

Ishouldthinkitwouldbeverydifficulttodesignalunaticasylumonthatbasis,butIdidn’tdaresayso,asMr。Copleyseemedtothinkitallright。Theirconversationisabsolutelysublimatedwhentheygettotalkingofarchitecture。IhavejustcopiedtwoquotationsfromEmerson,andamstudyingthemeverynightforfifteenminutesbeforeIgotosleep。I’mgoingtoquotethemsometimeoffhand,justaftermorningservice,whenwearewanderingaboutthecathedralgrounds。Thefirstisthis:\"TheGothiccathedralisablossominginstone,subduedbytheinsatiabledemandofharmonyinman。Themountainofgranitebloomsintoaneternalflower,withthelightnessanddelicatefinishaswellastheaerialproportionandperspectiveofvegetablebeauty。\"Thenwhenhehasrecoveredfromtheshockofthis,hereismysecond:\"NorcananyloverofnatureentertheoldpilesofOxfordandEnglishcathedralswithoutfeelingthattheforestoverpoweredthemindofthebuilder,andthathischisel,hissawandplane,stillreproduceditsferns,itsspikesofflowers,itslocust,elm,pine,andspruce。\"

Memoranda:LincolnchoirisanexampleofEarlyEnglishorFirstPointed,whichcangenerallybetoldfromsomethingelsebyboldprojectingbuttressesanddog—toothmouldingroundtheabacusses。

(Thepluralismyown,anditdoesnotlookright。)LincolnCastlewasthesceneofmanyprolongedsieges,andwasoncetakenbyOliverCromwell。

HE

YORK,June24

TheBlackSwan。

KittySchuyleristheconcentratedessenceoffemininewitchery。

Intuitionstrong,logicweak,andthetwoqualitiessobalancedastoproduceanindefinablecharm;will—powerlarge,butdocilityequal,ifamaniscleverenoughtoknowhowtomanageher;

knowledgeoffactsabsolutelynil,butsheisexquisitelyintelligentinspiteofit。Shehasawayofevading,escaping,eluding,andthengivesyouanintoxicatinghintofsuddenandcompletesurrender。Sheisdivinelyinnocent,butroguishnesssavesherfrominsipidity。Herlooks?Shelooksasyouwouldimagineapersonmightlookwhopossessedthesegraces;andsheisworthlookingat,thougheverytimeIdoitIhavearushoflovetothehead。Whenyoufindagirlwhocombinesallthequalitiesyouhaveimaginedintheideal,andwhohasaddedadozenortwoonherownaccount,merelytodistractyoupastallhope,whystandupandtrytoresisthercharm?Downonyourkneeslikeaman,sayI!

***

I’mgettingtoadoreauntCelia。Ididn’tcareforheratfirst,butsheissodeliciouslyblind!AnythingmoreexquisitelyunserviceableasachaperonIcan’timagine。Absorbedinantiquity,sheignoresthebabbleofcontemporaneouslovers。ThatanymancouldlookatKittywhenhecouldlookatacathedralpasseshercomprehension。Idonotpresumetoogreatlyonherabsent—

mindedness,however,lestsheshouldturnunexpectedlyandrendme。

IalwaysrememberthatinscriptiononthebacksofthelittlemechanicalFrenchtoys,——\"Quoiqu’ellesoittressolidementmontee,ilfautnepasbrutaliserlamachine。\"

AndsomycourtshipprogressesunderauntCelia’sverynose。Isay\"progresses,\"butitisimpossibletospeakwithanycertaintyofcourting,fortheessenceofthatgentlecraftishope,rootedinlaborandtrainedbylove。

Isetouttoproposetoherduringservicethisafternoonbywritingmyfeelingsonthefly—leafofthehymn—book,orsomethinglikethat;butIknewthatauntCeliawouldneverforgivesuchblasphemy,andIthoughtthatKittyherselfmightconsideritwicked。Besides,ifsheshouldchancetoacceptme,therewasnothingIcoulddo,inacathedral,torelievemyfeelings。No;ifsheeveracceptsme,I

wishittobeinalarge,vacantspotoftheuniverse,peopledbytwoonly,andthosetwosoindistinguishablyblended,asitwere,thattheywouldappearasonetothecasualobserver。SoI

practicedrepression,thoughthewallofmyreserveisworntothethinnessofthread—paper,andItriedtokeepmymindonthedroningminorcanon,andnottolookather,\"forthatwaymadnesslies。\"

SHE

YORK,June26

HighPetersgateStreet。

Mytasteissobad!Ijustbegintorealizeit,andIamfeelingmy\"growingpains,\"likeGwendolenin\"DanielDeronda。\"IadmiredthestainedglassintheLincolnCathedral,especiallytheNurembergwindow。IthoughtMr。Copleylookedpained,buthesaidnothing。

WhenIwenttomyroom,Ilookedinabookandfoundthatalltheglassinthatcathedralisverymodernandverybad,andtheNurembergwindowistheworstofall。AuntCeliasaysshehopesthatitwillbeawarningtometoreadbeforeIspeak;butMr。

Copleysaysno,thattheworldwouldlosemoreinonewaythanitwouldgainintheother。Itriedmyquotationsthismorning,andstuckfastinthemiddleofthefirst。

Mr。CopleysaysthatauntCeliahasbeenfeeingthevergersaltogethertoomuch,andIwroteasongaboutitcalled\"TheBalladoftheVergersandtheFoolishVirgin,\"whichIsangtomyguitar。

Mr。Copleysaysitisclevererthananythingheeverdidwithhispencil,butofcoursehesaysthatonlytobeagreeable。

Weallwenttoaneveningservicelastnight。Cominghome,auntCeliawalkedaheadwithMrs。Benedict,whokeepsturningupatthemostunexpectedmoments。She’sgoingtobuildaGothickymemorialchapelsomewhere。Idon’tknowforwhom,unlessit’sforBenedictArnold。Idon’tlikeherintheleast,butfouriscertainlyamorecomfortablenumberthanthree。IscarcelyeverhaveamomentalonewithMr。Copley;forgowhereIwillanddowhatIplease,auntCeliahasthemostperfectconfidenceinmyindiscretion,sosheisalwaysenevidence。

JustaswewereturningintothequietlittlestreetwherewearelodgingIsaid,\"Ohdear,IwishthatIknewsomethingaboutarchitecture!\"

\"Ifyoudon’tknowanythingaboutit,youarecertainlyresponsibleforagooddealofit,\"saidMr。Copley。

\"I?Howdoyoumean?\"Iaskedquiteinnocently,becauseIcouldn’tseehowhecouldtwistsucharemarkasthatintoanythinglikesentiment。

\"IhaveneverbuiltsomanycastlesinmylifeassinceI’veknownyou,MissSchuyler,\"hesaid。

\"Oh,\"IansweredaslightlyasIcould,\"air—castlesdon’tcount。\"

\"Thebuildingofair—castlesisaninnocentamusementenough,I

suppose,\"hesaid,\"butI’mcommittingthefollyoflivinginmine。

I\"—

ThenIwasfrightened。When,allatonce,youfindyouhavesomethingpreciousyouonlydimlysuspectedwastobeyours,youalmostwishithadn’tcomesosoon。ButjustatthatmomentMrs。

Benedictcalledtous,andcametrampingbackfromthegate,andhookedhersupercilious,patronizingarminMr。Copley’s,andaskedhimintothesitting—roomtotalkoverthe\"ladychapel\"inhernewmemorialchurch。ThenauntCeliatoldmetheywouldexcuseme,asI

hadhadawearisomeday;andtherewasnothingformetodobuttogotobed,likeasnubbedchild,andwonderifIshouldeverknowtheendofthatsentence。AndIlistenedattheheadofthestairs,shivering,butallthatIcouldhearwasthatMrs。BenedictaskedMr。Copleytobeherownarchitect。Herarchitectindeed!Thatwomanoughtnottobeatlarge!

DURHAM,July15

AtFarmerHendry’s。

WeleftYorkthismorning,andarrivedhereabouteleveno’clock。

Itseemsthereissomesortofanelectiongoingoninthetown,andtherewasnotasingleflyatthestation。Mr。Copleywalkedaboutineverydirection,butneitherhorsenorvehiclewastobehadforlovenormoney。Atlastwestartedtowalktothevillage,Mr。

Copleysoladenwithourhand—luggagethatheresembledapack—mule。

Wemadeatouroftheinns,butnotasingleroomwastobehad,notforthatnightnorforthreedaysahead,onaccountofthatsameelection。

\"Hadn’twebettergoontoEdinburgh,auntCelia?\"Iasked。

\"Edinburgh?Never!\"shereplied。\"DoyousupposethatIwouldvoluntarilyspendaSundayinthosebarePresbyterianchurchesuntilthememoryofthesepastidealweekshasfadedalittlefrommymemory?What,leaveoutDurhamandspoiltheset?\"(Shespokeofthecathedralsasiftheyweresouvenirspoons。)\"Iintendedtostayhereforaweekormore,andwriteuparecordofourentiretripfromWinchesterwhiletheimpressionswerefreshinmymind。\"

\"AndIhadintendeddoingthesamething,\"saidMr。Copley。\"Thatis,Ihopedtofinishoffmyprevioussketches,whichareinafrightfulstateofincompletion,andspendagooddealoftimeontheinteriorofthiscathedral,whichisunusuallybeautiful。\"(AtthisjunctureauntCeliadisappearedforamomenttoaskthebarmaidif,inheropinion,theconstantconsumptionofmaltliquorspreventsamoredangerousindulgenceinbrandyandwhiskey。Sheisgatheringstatistics,butasthebarmaidscannevercollecttheirthoughtswhiletheyaredrawingale,auntCeliaproceedsslowly。)

\"Formypart,\"saidI,withmockhumility,\"Iamadocilepersonwhoneverhasanyintentionsofherown,butwhoyieldsherselfsweetlytotheintentionsofotherpeopleinherimmediatevicinity。\"

\"Areyou?\"askedMr。Copley,takingouthispencil。

\"Yes,Isaidso。Whatareyoudoing?\"

\"Merelytakingnoteofyourstatement,that’sall。——Now,MissVanTyck,Ihaveaplantopropose。IwasherelastsummerwithacoupleofHarvardmen,andwelodgedatafarmhousehalfamilefromthecathedral。Ifyouwillstepintothecoffee—roomoftheShoulderofMuttonandCauliflowerforanhour,I’llwalkuptoFarmerHendry’sandseeiftheywilltakeusin。Ithinkwemightbefairlycomfortable。\"

\"CanauntCeliahaveApollinarisandblackcoffeeafterhermorningbath?\"Iasked。

\"Ihope,Katharine,\"saidauntCeliamajestically,——\"IhopethatI

canaccommodatemyselftocircumstances。IfMr。Copleycansecurelodgingsforus,Ishallbemorethangrateful。\"

Sohereweare,alllodgingtogetherinanidealEnglishfarmhouse。

Thereisathatchedroofononeoftheoldbuildings,andthedairyhouseiscoveredwithivy,andFarmerHendry’swifemakesarealEnglishcourtesy,andthereareherdsofbeautifulsleekDurhamcattle,andthebutterandcreamandeggsandmuttonaredelicious;

andInever,neverwanttogohomeanymore。Iwanttolivehereforever,andwavetheAmericanflagonWashington’sbirthday。

IamsohappythatIfeelasifsomethingweregoingtospoilitall。Twentyyearsoldto—day!Iwishmammawerealivetowishmemanyhappyreturns。

Memoranda:Casualremarkforbreakfasttableorperhapsforluncheon,——itisatrifleheavyforbreakfast:\"SincethesixteenthcenturyanddespitetheworkofInigoJonesandthegreatWren(notJennyWren——Christopher),architecturehashad,inEnglandespecially,nolegitimatedevelopment。\"

HE

DURHAM,July19

Ochildoffortune,thynameisJ。Q。Copley!Howdidithappentobeelectiontime?Whydidtheinnschancetobefull?HowdidauntCeliarelaxsufficientlytoallowmetofindheralodging?Whydidshefallinlovewiththelodgingwhenfound?Idonotknow。I

onlyknowFatesmiles;thatKittyandIeatourmorningbaconandeggstogether;thatIcarveKitty’scoldbeefandpourKitty’ssparklingaleatluncheon;thatIgotovesperswithKitty,anddinewithKitty,andwalkinthegloamingwithKitty——andauntCelia。

Andafteradayofheavenlikethis,likeLornaDoone’slover,——ay,andlikeeveryotherlover,Isuppose,——Igotosleep,andtheroofabovemeswarmswithangels,havingKittyunderit!

Wewerecominghomefromafternoonservice,KittyandI。(Iamanticipatingforshewas\"MissSchuyler\"then,butnevermind。)Wewerewalkingthroughthefields,whileMrs。BenedictandauntCeliaweredriving。Aswecameacrossacornerofthebitofmeadowlandthatjoinsthestableandthegarden,weheardamuffledroar,andaswelookedroundwesawacreaturewithtossinghornsandwavingtailmakingforus,headdown,eyesflashing。Kittygaveashriek。

Wechancedtobenearapairoflowbars。Ihadn’tbeenacollegeathletefornothing。IswungKittyoverthebars,andjumpedafterher。Butshe,notknowinginherfrightwhereshewasnorwhatshewasdoing;supposing,also,thatthemadcreature,likethevillainintheplay,would\"stillpursueher,\"flungherselfbodilyintomyarms,crying,\"Jack!Jack!Saveme!\"

\"ItwasthefirsttimeshehadcalledmeJack,\"andIneedednosecondinvitation。Iproceededtosaveher,——intheusualway,byholdinghertomyheartandkissingherlovelyhairreassuringly,asImurmured:\"Youaresafe,mydarling;notahairofyourpreciousheadshallbehurt。Don’tbefrightened。\"

Sheshiveredlikealeaf。\"Iamfrightened,\"shesaid。\"Ican’thelpbeingfrightened。Hewillchaseus,Iknow。Whereishe?

Whatishedoingnow?\"

LookinguptodetermineifIneedabbreviatethisblissfulmoment,I

sawtheenragedanimaldisappearinginthesidedoorofthebarn;

anditwasanice,comfortableDurhamcow,——thatsomewhatrarebutpossiblething,asportivecow!

\"Ishegone?\"breathedKittyfrommywaistcoat。

\"Yes,heisgone——sheisgone,darling。Butdon’tmove;itmaycomeagain。\"

MyfirsttoohastyassurancehadcalmedKitty’sfears,andsheraisedhercharmingflushedfacefromitsretreatandpreparedtowithdraw。Ididnotfacilitatethepreparations,andamomentofawkwardsilenceensued。

\"MightIinquire,\"Iasked,\"ifthedearlittlepersonatpresentreposinginmyarmswillstaythere(withintervalsforrestandrefreshment)fortherestofhernaturallife?\"

Shewithdrewentirelynow,allbutherhand,andhereyessoughttheground。

\"IsupposeIshallhavetonow,——thatis,ifyouthink——atleast,I

supposeyoudothink——atanyrate,youlookasifyouwerethinking—

—thatthishasbeengivingyouencouragement。\"

\"Idoindeed,——decisive,undoubted,barefacedencouragement。\"

\"Idon’tthinkIoughttobejudgedasifIwereinmysobersenses,\"shereplied。\"Iwasfrightenedwithinaninchofmylife。

ItoldyouthismorningthatIwasdreadfullyafraidofbulls,especiallymadones,andItoldyouthatmynursefrightenedme,whenIwasachild,withawfulstoriesaboutthem,andthatIneveroutgrewmychildishterror。Ilookedeverywhereabout:thebarnwastoofar,thefencetoohigh,Isawhimcoming,andtherewasnothingbutyouandtheopencountry;ofcourseItookyou。Itwasverynatural,I’msure,——anygirlwouldhavedoneit。\"

\"Tobesure,\"Irepliedsoothingly,\"anygirlwouldhaverunafterme,asyousay。\"

\"Ididn’tsayanygirlwouldhaverunafteryou,——youneedn’tflatteryourself;andbesides,IthinkIwasreallytryingtoprotectyouaswellastogainprotection;elsewhyshouldIhavecastmyselfonyoulikeacatamount,oracatacomb,orwhateverthethingis?\"

\"Yes,darling,Ithankyouforsavingmylife,andIamwillingtodevotetheremainderofittoyourserviceasapledgeofmygratitude;butifyoushouldtakeuplife—savingasaprofession,dear,don’tthrowyourselfonafellowwith\"—

\"Jack!Jack!\"shecried,puttingherhandovermylips,andgettingitwellkissedinconsequence。\"Ifyouwillonlyforgetthat,andnever,nevertauntmewithitafterwards,I’ll——I’ll——well,I’lldoanythinginreason;yes,evenmarryyou!\"

CANTERBURY,July31

TheRoyalFountain。

IwasneversureenoughofKitty,atfirst,todarerisktellingheraboutthatlittlemistakeofhers。SheissuchanelusivepersonthatIspendallmytimeinwooingher,andcanneverlayflatteringunctiontomysoulthatsheisreallywon。

ButafterauntCeliahadlookedupmyfamilyrecordandgivenaprovisionalconsent,andpapaSchuylerhadcabledareluctantblessing,Ididnotfeelcapableofanyfurtherself—restraint。

ItwastwilighthereinCanterbury,andweweresittingonthevine—

shadedverandaofauntCelia’slodging。Kitty’sheadwasonmyshoulder。Thereissomethingveryqueeraboutthat;whenKitty’sheadisonmyshoulder,Iamnotcapableofanyconsecutivetrainofthought。WhensheputsitthereIseestars,thenmyriadsofstars,then,oh!Ican’tbegintoenumeratethestepsbywhichecstasymountstodelirium;butatallevents,anyoperationwhichdemandsexclusiveuseoftheintellectisbeyondmeatthesetimes。StillI

gatheredmystraywitstogetherandsaid,\"Kitty!\"

\"Yes,Jack?\"

\"Nowthatnothingbutdeathormarriagecanseparateus,Ihavesomethingtoconfesstoyou。\"

\"Yes,\"shesaidserenely,\"Iknowwhatyouaregoingtosay。Hewasacow。\"

Iliftedherheadfrommyshouldersternly,andgazedintoherchildlike,candideyes。

\"Youmountainofdeceit!Howlonghaveyouknownaboutit?\"

\"Eversincethefirst。Oh,Jack,stoplookingatmeinthatway!

Nottheveryfirst,notwhenI——notwhenyou——notwhenwe——no,notthen,butthenextmorningIsaidtoFarmerHendry,’Iwishyouwouldkeepyoursavagebullchainedupwhilewearehere;auntCeliaisawfullyafraidofthem,especiallythosethatgomad,likeyours!’’Lor’,miss,’saidFarmerHendry,’hehaven’tbeenpasturedhereforthreeweeks。Ikeephimsixmileaway。Thereben’tnothingbutgentlecowsinthehomemedder。’ButIdidn’tthinkthatyouknew,yousecretiveperson!Idaresayyouplannedthewholethinginadvance,inordertotakeadvantageofmyfright!\"

\"Never!Iamincapableofsuchanunnecessarysubterfuge!Besides,Kitty,Icouldnothavemadeanaccompliceofacow,youknow。\"

\"Then,\"shesaid,withgreatdignity,\"ifyouhadbeenagentlemanandamanofhonor,youwouldhavecried,’Unhandme,girl!Youareclingingtomeunderamisunderstanding!’\"

SHE

CHESTER,August8

TheGrosvenor。

JackandIaregoingoverthissamegroundnextsummer,onourweddingtrip。Weshallsailforhomenextweek,andwehaven’thalfdonejusticetothecathedrals。Afterthefirsttwo,wesawnothingbuteachotheronageneralbackgroundofarchitecture。Ihopemymindisimproved,butoh,IamsohazyaboutallthefactsIhavereadsinceIknewJack!WinchesterandSalisburystandoutsuperblyinmymemory。Theyacquiredtheirgroundbeforeitwasoccupiedwithothermatters。Ishallneverforget,forinstance,thatWinchesterhasthelongestspireandSalisburythehighestnaveofalltheEnglishcathedrals。AndIshallneverforgetsolongasI

livethatJaneAustenandIsaacNewt—Ohdear!wasitIsaacNewtonorIzaakWaltonthatwasburiedinWinchesterandSalisbury?Tothinkthatthatinterestingfactshouldhaveslippedfrommymind,afterallthetroubleItookwithit!ButIknowthatitwasIsaacsomebody,andthathewasburiedin——well,hewasburiedinoneofthosetwoplaces。Iamnotcertainwhich,butIcanaskJack;heissuretoknow。