OUR school was not situated
in the heart of the town: on
entering A- from the north-west
there is a row of respectable-looking
houses, on each side of the broad,
white road, with narrow slips
of garden-ground before them,
Venetian blinds to the windows,
and a flight of steps leading
to each trim, brass-handled door.
In one of the largest of these
habitations dwelt my mother and
I, with such young ladies as
our friends and the public chose
to commit to our charge. Consequently,
we were a considerable distance
from the sea, and divided from
it by a labyrinth of streets
and houses. But the sea was my
delight; and I would often gladly
pierce the town to obtain the
pleasure of a walk beside it,
whether with the pupils, or alone
with my mother during the vacations.
It was delightful to me at all
times and seasons, but especially
in the wild commotion of a rough
sea-breeze, and in the brilliant
freshness of a summer
morning.
I awoke early on the third
morning after my return from
Ashby Park - the sun was shining
through the blind, and I thought
how pleasant it would be to pass
through the quiet town and take
a solitary ramble on the sands
while half the world was in bed.
I was not long in forming the
resolution, nor slow to act upon
it. Of course I would not disturb
my mother, so I stole noiselessly
downstairs, and quietly unfastened
the door. I was dressed and out,
when the church clock struck
a quarter to six. There was a
feeling of freshness and vigour
in the very streets; and when
I got free of the town, when
my foot was on the sands and
my face towards the broad, bright
bay, no language can describe
the effect of the deep, clear
azure of the sky and ocean, the
bright morning sunshine on the
semicircular barrier of craggy
cliffs surmounted by green swelling
hills, and on the smooth, wide
sands, and the low rocks out
at sea - looking, with their
clothing of weeds and moss, like
little grass-grown islands -
and above all, on the brilliant,
sparkling waves. And then, the
unspeakable purity - and freshness
of the air! There was just enough
heat to enhance the value of
the breeze, and just enough wind
to keep the whole sea in motion,
to make the waves come bounding
to the shore, foaming and sparkling,
as if wild with glee. Nothing
else was stirring - no living
creature was visible besides
myself. My footsteps were the
first to press the firm, unbroken
sands; - nothing before had trampled
them since last night's flowing
tide had obliterated the deepest
marks of yesterday, and left
them fair and even, except where
the subsiding water had left
behind it the traces of dimpled
pools and little running streams.
Refreshed, delighted, invigorated,
I walked along, forgetting all
my cares, feeling as if I had
wings to my feet, and could go
at least forty miles without
fatigue, and experiencing a sense
of exhilaration to which I had
been an entire stranger since
the days of early youth. About
half-past six, however, the grooms
began to come down to air their
masters' horses - first one,
and then another, till there
were some dozen horses and five
or six riders: but that need
not trouble me, for they would
not come as far as the low rocks
which I was now approaching.
When I had reached these, and
walked over the moist, slippery
sea-weed (at the risk of floundering
into one of the numerous pools
of clear, salt water that lay
between them), to a little mossy
promontory with the sea splashing
round it, I looked back again
to see who next was stirring.
Still, there were only the early
grooms with their horses, and
one gentleman with a little dark
speck of a dog running before
him, and one water-cart coming
out of the town to get water
for the baths. In another minute
or two, the distant bathing machines
would begin to move, and then
the elderly gentlemen of regular
habits and sober quaker ladies
would be coming to take their
salutary morning walks. But however
interesting such a scene might
be, I could not wait to witness
it, for the sun and the sea so
dazzled my eyes in that direction,
that I could but afford one glance;
and then I turned again to delight
myself with the sight and the
sound of the sea, dashing against
my promontory - with no prodigious
force, for the swell was broken
by the tangled sea-weed and the
unseen rocks beneath; otherwise
I should soon have been deluged
with spray. But the tide was
coming in; the water was rising;
the gulfs and lakes were filling;
the straits were widening: it
was time to seek some safer footing;
so I walked, skipped, and stumbled
back to the smooth, wide sands,
and resolved to proceed to a
certain bold projection in the
cliffs, and then return.
Presently, I heard a snuffling
sound behind me and then a dog
came frisking and wriggling to
my feet. It was my own Snap -
the little dark, wire-haired
terrier! When I spoke his name,
he leapt up in my face and yelled
for joy. Almost as much delighted
as himself, I caught the little
creature in my arms, and kissed
him repeatedly. But how came
he to be there? He could not
have dropped from the sky, or
come all that way alone: it must
be either his master, the rat-catcher,
or somebody else that had brought
him; so, repressing my extravagant
caresses, and endeavouring to
repress his likewise, I looked
round, and beheld - Mr. Weston!
'Your dog remembers you well,
Miss Grey,' said he, warmly grasping
the hand I offered him without
clearly knowing what I was about.
'You rise early.'
'Not often so early as this,'
I replied, with amazing composure,
considering all the circumstances
of the case.
'How far do you purpose to
extend your walk?'
'I was thinking of returning
- it must be almost time, I think.'
He consulted his watch - a
gold one now - and told me it
was only five minutes past seven.
'But, doubtless, you have had
a long enough walk,' said he,
turning towards the town, to
which I now proceeded leisurely
to retrace my steps; and he walked
beside me.
'In what part of the town do
you live?' asked he. 'I never
could discover.'
Never could discover? Had he
endeavoured to do so then? I
told him the place of our abode.
He asked how we prospered in
our affairs. I told him we were
doing very well - that we had
had a considerable addition to
our pupils after the Christmas
vacation, and expected a still
further increase at the close
of this.
'You must be an accomplished
instructor,' he observed.
'No, it is my mother,' I replied;
'she manages things so well,
and is so active, and clever,
and kind.'
'I should like to know your
mother. Will you introduce me
to her some time, if I call?'
'Yes, willingly.'
'And will you allow me the
privilege of an old friend, of
looking in upon you now and then?'
'Yes, if - I suppose so.'
This was a very foolish answer,
but the truth was, I considered
that I had no right to invite
anyone to my mother's house without
her knowledge; and if I had said,
'Yes, if my mother does not object,'
it would appear as if by his
question I understood more than
was expected; so, SUPPOSING she
would not, I added, 'I suppose
so:' but of course I should have
said something more sensible
and more polite, if I had had
my wits about me. We continued
our walk for a minute in silence;
which, however, was shortly relieved
(no small relief to me) by Mr.
Weston commenting upon the brightness
of the morning and the beauty
of the bay, and then upon the
advantages A- possessed over
many other fashionable places
of resort.
'You don't ask what brings
me to A- ' said he. 'You can't
suppose I'm rich enough to come
for my own pleasure.'
'I heard you had left Horton.'
'You didn't hear, then, that
I had got the living of F-?'
F- was a village about two
miles distant from A-.
'No,' said I; 'we live so completely
out of the world, even here,
that news seldom reaches me through
any quarter; except through the
medium of the - GAZETTE. But
I hope you like your new parish;
and that I may congratulate you
on the acquisition?'
'I expect to like my parish
better a year or two hence, when
I have worked certain reforms
I have set my heart upon - or,
at least, progressed some steps
towards such an achievement.
But you may congratulate me now;
for I find it very agreeable
to HAVE a parish all to myself,
with nobody to interfere with
me - to thwart my plans or cripple
my exertions: and besides, I
have a respectable house in a
rather pleasant neighbourhood,
and three hundred pounds a year;
and, in fact, I have nothing
but solitude to complain of,
and nothing but a companion to
wish for.'
He looked at me as he concluded:
and the flash of his dark eyes
seemed to set my face on fire;
greatly to my own discomfiture,
for to evince confusion at such
a juncture was intolerable. I
made an effort, therefore, to
remedy the evil, and disclaim
all personal application of the
remark by a hasty, ill-expressed
reply, to the effect that, if
he waited till he was well known
in the neighbourhood, he might
have numerous opportunities for
supplying his want among the
residents of F- and its vicinity,
or the visitors of A-, if he
required so ample a choice: not
considering the compliment implied
by such an assertion, till his
answer made me aware of it.
'I am not so presumptuous as
to believe that,' said he, 'though
you tell it me; but if it were
so, I am rather particular in
my notions of a companion for
life, and perhaps I might not
find one to suit me among the
ladies you mention.'
'If you require perfection,
you never will.'
'I do not - I have no right
to require it, as being so far
from perfect myself.'
Here the conversation was interrupted
by a water-cart lumbering past
us, for we were now come to the
busy part of the sands; and,
for the next eight or ten minutes,
between carts and horses, and
asses, and men, there was little
room for social intercourse,
till we had turned our backs
upon the sea, and begun to ascend
the precipitous road leading
into the town. Here my companion
offered me his arm, which I accepted,
though not with the intention
of using it as a support.
'You don't often come on to
the sands, I think,' said he,
'for I have walked there many
times, both morning and evening,
since I came, and never seen
you till now; and several times,
in passing through the town,
too, I have looked about for
your school - but I did not think
of the - Road; and once or twice
I made inquiries, but without
obtaining the requisite information.'
When we had surmounted the
acclivity, I was about to withdraw
my arm from his, but by a slight
tightening of the elbow was tacitly
informed that such was not his
will, and accordingly desisted.
Discoursing on different subjects,
we entered the town, and passed
through several streets. I saw
that he was going out of his
way to accompany me, notwithstanding
the long walk that was yet before
him; and, fearing that he might
be inconveniencing himself from
motives of politeness, I observed
- 'I fear I am taking you out
of your way, Mr. Weston - I believe
the road to F- lies quite in
another direction.'
'I'll leave you at the end
of the next street,' said he.
'And when will you come to
see mamma?'
'To-morrow - God willing.'
The end of the next street
was nearly the conclusion of
my journey. He stopped there,
however, bid me good-morning,
and called Snap, who seemed a
little doubtful whether to follow
his old mistress or his new master,
but trotted away upon being summoned
by the latter.
'I won't offer to restore him
to you, Miss Grey,' said Mr.
Weston, smiling, 'because I like
him.'
'Oh, I don't want him,' replied
I, 'now that he has a good master;
I'm quite satisfied.'
'You take it for granted that
I am a good one, then?'
The man and the dog departed,
and I returned home, full of
gratitude to heaven for so much
bliss, and praying that my hopes
might not again be crushed.
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