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  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。

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