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。