Heartsease | Page 8

nearly out of
patience.
'Of course--I knew he would, he can't leave us with nothing to live on.
There's nothing to be done but to go through the forms, and I am quite
ready. Come, what's the use of looking intensely disgusted? Now you
have seen her, you don't expect me to profess that I am very sorry, and
"will never do so no more."'
'I say nothing against her, but the way of doing it.'
'So much trouble saved. Besides, I tell you I am ready to make
whatever apology my father likes for a preliminary.'
His brother looked vexed, and dropped the conversation, waiting to see
more of the bride before he should form an opinion.
It was seeing rather than hearing, for she was in much awe of him,
blushed more than she spoke, and seemed taken up by the fear of doing
something inappropriate, constantly turning wistful inquiring looks
towards her husband, to seek encouragement or direction, but it was a
becoming confusion, and by no means lessened the favourable
impression.
'The next morning Arthur was engaged, and left her to be the guide to
the cathedral, whereat she looked shy and frightened, but Mr.
Martindale set himself to re-assure her, and the polished gentleness of
his manner soon succeeded.

They stood on the hill, overlooking the town and the vale of Itchen,
winding away till lost between the green downs that arose behind their
crested neighbour, St. Catherine's Hill, and in the valley beneath
reposed the gray cathedral's lengthened nave and square tower, its
lesser likeness, St. Cross, and the pinnacles of the College tower.
'A very pretty view,' said Mr. Martindale.
'The old buildings are very fine, but it is not like our own hills.'
'No, it is hard on Hampshire downs to compare them to Cumberland
mountains.'
'But it is so sunny and beautiful,' said the bright young bride. 'See the
sunshine on the green meadows, and the haymaking. Oh! I shall always
love it.' John heard a great deal of happiness in those words. 'I never
saw a cathedral before,' she added.
'Have you been over this one?'
'Yes, but it will be such a treat to go again. One can't take a quarter of it
in at once.'
'No, it takes half a lifetime to learn a cathedral properly.'
'It is a wonderful thing,' she said, with the same serious face; then,
changing her tone to one of eagerness, 'I want to find Bishop Fox's
tomb, for he was a north-country bishop.'
John smiled. 'You are perfect in the cathedral history.'
'I bought a little book about it.'
Her knowledge was, he found, in a girlish state of keen interest, and not
deficient, but what pleased him best was that, as they entered and stood
at the west door, looking down the whole magnificent length of nave,
choir, and chapel, the embowed roof high above, sustained on massive
pillars, she uttered a low murmur of 'beautiful!' and there was a
heart-felt expression of awe and reverence on her face, a look as of rapt

thought, chased away in a moment by his eye, and giving place to quiet
pensiveness. After the service they went over the building; but though
eager for information, the gravity did not leave her, nor did she speak at
once when they emerged into the Close.
'It is very impressive,' said John.
'I suppose you have seen a great many cathedrals?'
'Yes, many foreign ones, and a few English.'
'I wonder whether seeing many makes one feel the same as seeing one.'
'How do you mean?'
'I do not think I could ever care for another like this one.'
'As your first?'
'Yes; it has made me understand better what books say about churches,
and their being like--'
'Like?'
She changed her sentence. 'It makes one think, and want to be good.'
'It is what all truly beautiful things should do' said John.
'Oh! I am glad you say so,' exclaimed Violet. 'It is like what Annette
and I have wondered about--I mean why fine statues or pictures, or
anything of that kind, should make one feel half sad and half thoughtful
when one looks at them long.'
'Perhaps because it is a straining after the only true beauty.'
'I must tell Annette that. It was she that said it was so,' said Violet; 'and
we wondered Greek statues gave one that feeling, but I see it must be
the reason.'

'What statues have you seen?'
'Those at Wrangerton House. Lord St. Erme is always sending cases
home, and it is such a festival day to go up and see them unpacked, and
Caroline and Annette go and take drawings, and I like to wander about
the rooms, and look at everything,' said Violet, growing talkative on the
theme of