首页 >出版文学> A Cathedral Courtship>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。