CHAPTER VII
ACROSS THE CHANNEL
"THERE doesn't seem to be anything to do but to bob about from place toplace," said Miss Helen a few days after the girls had returned fromSpain, "and as long as we are all over here together we may as wellmake the most of our opportunities, for once you girls are in collegethere is no knowing what we may have to do. Now, I vote for England forthe next move, and, Jo Keyes, I appoint myself a committee of one toinvite you to go along."
"Me?" Jo jumped to her feet. Though Miss Barnes was now in Paris withher party of girls, Jo had not failed to be on hand when Nan and MaryLee returned.
"Yes," Miss Helen responded, "you are here for study, and surelynothing will give you a better groundwork for your English literaturethan a flight to England. I am sure Miss Barnes will not object to yourspreading out your prize a little thinner so it will last longer, for Ipromise you shall be at no great expense. Miss Barnes will so soon bereturning, that I have not the least doubt but that she will consentto your remaining in our company if I talk the matter over with her.You remember that she does not take her party anywhere except on theContinent, and this chance for seeing England is one I know she willnot want you to miss."
"How good you are, Miss Helen," Jo answered heartily. "I should so loveto go."
"Perhaps you can go to Munich with us, too," said Mary Lee. "I don'tsee why you shouldn't go along; as you have been allowed to leave MissBarnes' party, anyhow, and have been with us most of the time, why notkeep right on? I am sure it would be cheaper than going back to theWadsworth school. I hope you have written about it to your father, soyou won't have to go back when Miss Barnes does. You know we talked itover before we went to Spain."
"Yes, I have written all that you have said, and I am expecting ananswer any day, for if I do stay with you Miss Barnes must know,otherwise, I shall have to be ready to take passage when she does. Ireally have great hopes, though I am deadly afraid to talk about themfor fear they will not be gratified."
"When do we start for England, Aunt Helen?" asked Nan.
"Let me see. The Huttons are coming back next week so we shall have togive up the apartment then."
"It doesn't seem possible that we have had it two months," remarked Nan.
"That is because you were not here during a whole month of our stay. Ithink we may as well start off at once, so as not to have to make tworemoves. We shall want to get to Munich as near the first of Octoberas we can, so you girls may arrange for school work as promptly aspossible.
"What do you say, Mary?" She turned to Mrs. Corner who had beenlistening, but had taken no part in the conversation. "I know you arerather afraid of the English climate, and I don't wonder, but Septemberwill not be as dubious as April, I am sure. Often the weather then isthe very loveliest. Will you go with us, or shall we leave you and thetwinnies here?"
"Oh, oh!" came mournful wails of protest from the twins. "Don't leaveus behind, Aunt Helen."
"If you get tired," went on Miss Helen, still addressing Mrs. Corner,"we can leave you with one or two of your brood in some quiet placewhile we make short migrations."
"You put it so alluringly," said Mrs. Corner, "that I would be veryungracious if I didn't fall in with your plan. I think I can stand itfor a short time, for I could rush down to Torquay, or some such placeif it turned suddenly chilly. I have a weakness for tagging along withthese girls, strange as my taste might appear to outsiders. I thinkthey should see London, and since you agree to leave me behind wheneverthe energies of the party become too much for my powers, I agree to go."
"Good! Good!" cried the twins.
"Then since we are all agreed," said Miss Helen, "we may as well makeout our line of march. Nan, just hand me my Baedekers, those two onGreat Britain and London."
Nan hastened to obey. "I always get so excited when it comes to thepoint of making out the route," she said. "What do you propose, AuntHelen?"
"I thought it would be rather fun to let each one choose the place shewants most to see, and if her reason is good and sufficient, and theplace is within a reasonable route we'll take it in."
"That's a fine plan," declared Nan. "Who's to begin?"
"Your mother, I think."
All eyes were turned on Mrs. Corner. "I vote for Canterbury," shesaid. "We crossed from Dieppe last time and did not take it in. Thereare three interests for me there: first, the cathedral, second, theHuguenot church in the crypt, and third, the association with theCanterbury pilgrims."
"Good child," cried Miss Helen. "Go up head. Your reasons areexcellent. Moreover, if we cross from Calais to Dover we shall beexactly on the line to London when we take in Canterbury. By all meansCanterbury, and incidentally Dover, which has a wonderfully fine oldcastle. Now you, Nan."
"No, you, Aunt Helen."
"Then I choose Oxford which is always interesting to me and will be toyou. So far it stands Dover, Canterbury, London, Oxford. What next?Your turn, Nan."
"I'd love the Lake District above all things, if it is within thelimits. You know I made a special study of that region last year whenI was getting up my theme. I should so like to see that little Dovecottage where Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy lived, and there aredozens of spots that the poems refer to that I should love to see. Nextto the Lakes I should like the Lorna Doone country."
"We certainly must manage one of them, the Lakes if it is possible, foryours is a most worthy reason. Now, Jo, you have the next say."
"Stratford-on-Avon is mine, please. I don't think I have to give anyreason for wanting to go to the Shakespeare country."
"No, it is quite obvious. It works up beautifully, for it is not farfrom Oxford. Now, Mary Lee, what do you choose?"
"If you say Oxford I will take Cambridge, though London is what I mostwant to see, so leave out Cambridge if it is an out-of-the-way place.I am crazy to see the Zoo in London, and after that anything will suitme."
Miss Helen smiled. Mary Lee's fondness for animals was always evident."You shall certainly see the Zoo," her aunt told her, "and when we getto London we will follow the same plan of choosing what we like best;then every one will be suited. We may have to leave out Cambridge, butwe shall see later. What is your choice, Jack?"
Jack had been thinking very hard. "I'd like to see the white peacock onthat castle wall," she said.
"Rather vague," Nan murmured to her mother. "What castle, chickadee?Where did you hear about white peacocks?"
"Mr. St. Nick told me. He saw them."
"Oh, I know; she means Warwick, Aunt Helen. I remember that Mr. St.Nick and Miss Dolores were there. Isn't it Warwick, Jack?"
"I think so."
"That will not be out of our way at all," said Miss Helen. "We caninclude that in our Shakespeare country, for it is practically thesame. Now, Jean."
This young person's desires were divided between a wish to eat clottedcream in Devonshire and to see Southdown lambs which would grow up tobe sheep. The good things of life were generally uppermost in Jean'smind. She had read of clotted cream in one of her favorite story-books,and had heard Mr. St. Nick discourse upon the Southdowns.
"What a choice," cried the others.
"Well," began Jean in an aggrieved voice, "I'm sure everybody feelscrite as I do, only they don't say so."
"I think there will be no difficulty about indulging your yearning forclotted cream in London," her aunt told her. "As for the Southdowns, wecan perhaps come back by way of New Haven and Dieppe when you will beable to see the Southdowns of Sussex, so probably both your desires canbe fulfilled."
"I wish I had made two wishes," said Jack regretfully. It was always agrievance when one twin had anything the other did not.
"Suppose you were to make another, what would it be?" asked her aunt.
Jack considered. "I think," she decided, "I should like to see themoping owl."
"You ridiculous child," cried Mary Lee, "to go to England to see owlsand peacocks that you can see any time at home."
"Well, I never did see a whi
te peacock nor a moping owl," said Jack,"and I'm sure you want to go to the Zoo yourself. I've seen hooty owls,but not the moping kind. Uncle Landy showed me a hooty owl that used tolive in our barn and catch mice."
"Have you an idea what she is talking about?" Jo asked Nan.
"Of course I have," returned Nan, putting her arm around her littlesister. "I remember the creature that Unc' Landy used to call a hootyowl, and Jack has heard me repeat Gray's Elegy too often for me not toknow about the moping one. I'm afraid, dearie," she turned to Jack,"that you wouldn't see the moping owl if you went to--what is the nameof the place, Aunt Helen, Stoke Poges? Thank you. I don't know howlong owls live but I fancy that special owl must have died years ago;if not, he must be ready now to drop off with old age, so he couldn'tpossibly fly to the 'ivied tower.'"
"We can take a day for Windsor castle and Stoke Poges, perhaps," saidMiss Helen, "even though we can't be sure of the owl. Let us seehow our itinerary reads now. From Calais to Dover, to Canterbury, toLondon, to Oxford, to Cambridge--that means retracing our steps alittle if we go to the latter."
"Oh, but you know I gave up Cambridge," said Mary Lee. "I really am notso very keen about it; I'd rather see Oxford, anyhow."
"How very English that keen sounds," laughed Nan. "I know where youpicked that up; from those English girls we met at Madame Lemercier's."
"Now let me see what we can do," said Miss Helen still absorbed inher plans. "We shall probably have to leave out Cambridge, for it isa pretty long list to cover in so short a time. We will say Oxford,Stratford-on-Avon and Warwick. We will try for the Lakes and let Jeaneat her clotted cream in London, so that will leave out Devonshire, andif we come back by way of Dieppe we shall sail from Newhaven and thatwill give us a glimpse of Sussex. That will be the better way and Ithink we can do it all without too great a rush. Now, off with you, andbegin to pack up."
The girls scudded to their different rooms, and began to chatter overthe new plans. "I wish we could go to Scotland," said Nan, "but we aretrying to do a great deal in a very short time, which mother thinks isalways a mistake. You see we gave up so much time to Spain that we havevery little left for England, but I am awfully glad you are to have awhack at it, Jo."
"It is beyond my wildest hopes, for I thought France and Germany wouldbe my limit. It is all due to that blessed aunt of yours. I believehalf the reason she suggested the trip was on my account."
"Don't you believe it. She thinks it will be great for us all, thoughI know she included you when she first thought of the advantage ofit. Once we settle down in Munich there will be five solid months ofGerman."
"And that is no cinch," declared Jo.
"It is a fearsome language," agreed Nan, "though they do say ours isabout as hard. I don't believe that, however, for I am sure getting thepronunciation of English is much easier than to conquer that fearfulGerman grammar; ours is mere child's play compared to it. You are notgoing to take all those things, are you, Jo? We shall be gone only amonth, and the bulk of our luggage will be left in storage here for usto pick up on our way back."
"Who's getting English expressions now?" queried Mary Lee from thedepth of a trunk. "Why don't you say baggage?"
"Because they won't know what I mean in England. I say but we'll have alot of boxes, shan't we?" she went on with a strong English accent. "Myword, but I'm a silly ass to think I can get all this in one box. Howis that, Jo? Shall I be taken for an English girl, do you think? There,I believe I have chosen judiciously. I must go and ask mother. Perhapsshe will think I shall not need that extra frock."
Another week saw the travelers on their way. After a short crossingfrom Calais, which every one dreaded, but which no one minded in theleast, they set foot on the pier at Dover. "If any one mentions thewhite cliffs of Dover to me," said Miss Helen at starting, "I'll cutout her special choice of places from the trip." And in merry defiancethe girls skirted the subject, saying everything but the exact words,till Miss Helen threatened to abandon them at the first stopping-place.
Mrs. Corner declined the steep walk to the castle, but the girls wereall eager to take it, and were not disappointed in what the place hadto offer. Nan's romantic soul delighted in the banquet hall, the littlegallery where the minstrels used to sit and the small room where theladies retired apart. "I can fancy it all," said the girl. "Never haveI had those old times brought before me so vividly."
"Old times," said Mary Lee. "This isn't nearly so old as things we sawin Spain."
"But I don't read Spanish romances and I do read English ones,"retorted Nan.
The magnificent array of armor greatly interested Jo, who examinedcoats of mail, helmets and shields to her heart's content. Jack wasawe-stricken by the well three hundred feet deep, but Jean was mostinterested in the birds outside the castle and the flowers in thecrannied wall.
The way to Canterbury was short and here they arrived before night, tobe established in a quaint little hotel but a stone's throw from thegreat cathedral.
"I am glad the town still looks so old," said Nan. "One doesn'tneed so much imagination to fancy the pilgrims, and as for thecathedral,--well,--words fail."
A daily visit to the cathedral seemed a necessity to them all. Theywould wander around the beautiful close, admiring this fine ruin, thatold porch until it was time for afternoon service when all would go tospend an hour in the beautiful interior while the service went on.
It was on one of these occasions that Jack was found to be missing."She was here a minute ago," said Nan. "You all go in and I will tryto hunt her up. Very likely she is watching the rooks; she is crazyabout them." But search as she would no Jack did she find, and finallydecided to join the others in the church. She had scarcely seatedherself, when, looking across to the seats in the choir, she saw Jacksmiling from the archbishop's pew, quite happily settled by no lesspersonage than the gracious wife of the archbishop himself.
"How did you dare to go there?" asked Nan severely when she encounteredher waiting at one of the great doors after service.
"A lady invited me," said Jack coolly, not at all appreciating the factthat she had been in the seats of the mighty. "I was standing in thedoorway looking around for you all, and that nice pleasant lady camealong and asked if I were alone. I said yes, but that I was looking formy family. Where do strangers sit? I said, and she told me to come withher, so I went."
"She was the archbishop's wife," Nan told her, "and you have been quitehonored. I suppose you were out watching the rooks and that was why wecouldn't find you."
"Yes, and I am glad I was, for I wouldn't have sat in the archbishop'spew if I had gone in with you," returned Jack complacently. She alwayscomforted herself by deriving such benefit as she could from any ofher escapades, and if truth must be told she usually did come off withflying colors.
Mrs. Corner, who was interested in getting some records for a friend athome, determined upon a visit to the pastor of the Huguenot church, andtook Mary Lee with her as the others had planned to go to St. Martin's."You can tell us about your visit and we will tell you about ours,"said Mary Lee to the others. "Time is too short for everybody to doeverything."
"It was fine," cried Nan when she met Mary Lee later in the day.
"He is the dearest man," responded Mary Lee, "and he told us suchinteresting things, how Queen Elizabeth let the Huguenot refugees havetheir services in the crypt of the cathedral, and how there have beenuninterrupted services held there ever since. There used to be a greatmany Huguenots in Canterbury, and there are still a number of Frenchnames, though a great many have become Anglicized. Baker used to beBoulanger, and White used to be Blanc. Now the congregation is verysmall, and there is very little money to pay the minister, but he isfull of faith, and is so enthusiastic and simple-hearted. He believesthat everything will come out all right. Just think, Nan, if it werenot for him the services would have to stop, and after all these yearsit would be a shame. If I were very rich I would send him a big fatcheck, for I don't know any one who would use it more unselfishly
.He lives in the tiniest little house, and 'does for himself' as theysay in England. He had been working in his garden when we got there,and apologized for his appearance, but I just loved his simple ways,and--oh dear----" She paused to take breath.
"Go on," said Nan. "I am tremendously interested."
"He is so dear," continued Mary Lee, "and brought out some of thevery old books he has, for as he said, 'I will show you the so manyinteresting things that I have.' He left his parish in Canada to comeover here to take up this work because there was no one else who woulddo it, and he is so eager for the honor of this early church. Hedoesn't seem to care at all about himself. He ought to have a nice bigrectory instead of that box of a house, and he believes that some dayhe will have, if it is best, but he thinks more of its being a dishonorto the church than of his own discomfort to live as he does. We are allgoing to the service in the crypt to-morrow afternoon. Do you know whoBeza was? We are going to hear some of the old hymns that are in theold Beza hymn-book, and they will sing them just as their fore-fathersdid, the pastor promised us."
"Good!" cried Nan. "I want to go, too. We haven't had a bad time,either, Mary Lee. You know St. Martin's was a Christian church beforeSaxon days and before St. Augustine came to Great Britain. It was fixedup as a chapel for Queen Bertha; she was the wife of Ethelbert. Wesaw the old font where he was baptized. There are some curious slitsin the thick walls, and they are called 'leper's squints,' for yousee the lepers couldn't go inside but stood outside and peeped in.The verger saw we were more interested than most visitors are and hetold us a lot. He showed us where the old wall began and where theauthentic Roman bricks are. There is a beautiful view of the town andthe cathedral from the churchyard. I brought you an ivy-leaf that hadfallen from the vine over the church, and we got some post-cards anda little pamphlet on our way home. Aunt Helen says it is called theMother Church of England, and that though at Glastonbury Abbey thechurch had its actual beginnings, that it is now in ruins. I shouldlove to go to Glastonbury, but I am afraid we cannot do it on thistrip."
"You know Aunt Helen has promised that some time we shall come overand spend a whole summer in England, and then we can go."
"I'd like to spend weeks in Canterbury, and come to know every brickand stone by heart. Aunt Helen and I are making a list of the places welove best and, as you say, some day we are coming back and we mean tostay a long time in each of those places we do love. At least that iswhat we say we will do, and it is nice to think that we may."
"Hasn't it been an interesting day? I never expected to get soenthusiastic, but somehow that dear French pastor stirred me up so Icouldn't help being wild about everything he was interested in."
"Only one more day and then London," said Nan, half regretfully.
"That will be fascinating enough, dear knows. Who could have believedit, Nan, when you were playing your tunes on a log for a make-believepiano and I was running around with Phil, that in a couple of years weshould be flying all over Europe."
Nan looked thoughtful. Those days did seem very far distant now, yetthey were dear days, and even with lack of means they had enjoyed lifein that old Virginia home. "Shall we ever be content to settle downagain, I wonder?" she said. "There is still so much ahead; school,college, and then----"
"The then is a long way off still," said Mary Lee laughing. "I don'tbelieve we need to bother about it yet."
"Sensible as ever, Mary Lee," said Nan with an answering laugh.
CHAPTER VIII
IN LONDON TOWN]