delighted at the prospect of reaching Ox- coaches? "We put up at the Angel Inn." writes Mr. Boswell, "and passed the

ford.

They, too, are gone. But as Castor and Pollux, during these moments of doubt and useless reminiscence, are still taking us over the rough stones of the "High," some decision must be come to; and so, at a sudden instigation, Count von Rosen pulls up in front of the Mitre, which is an appropriate sign for the High Street of Oxford, and betokens age and respectability.

The road from Bensington thither is evening by ourselves in easy and familiar pleasant enough, but not particularly in- conversation." Alas! the Angel has now teresting. For the most part it descends been pulled down. Or shall we follow by a series of undulations into the level the hero of the Splendid Shilling, who, plain watered by the Isis, the Cherwell, and the Thames. But the mere notion of To Juniper's Magpie or Town Hall repairs? "When nightly mists arise, approaching that famous city, which is consecrated with memories of England's greatest men- -statesmen and divines, melancholy philosophers and ill-starred poets is in itself impressive, and lends to the rather commonplace landscape an air of romance. While as yet the old town lies unseen amid the woods that crowd up to the very edge of the sky, one fancies the bells of the colleges are to be heard, as Pope heard them when he rode, a solitary horseman, over these very hills, and down The stables of the Mitre are clean, wellinto the plain, and up to Magdalen Bridge.* ventilated, and well-managed - indeed, no We cared little to look at the villages, better stables could have been found for strung like beads on the winding thread putting up the horses for their next day's of the road-Shellingford, Dorchester, rest. When we had seen to their comfort, Nuneham Courtenay, and Sandford — nor we returned to the inn, and found that my did we even turn aside to go down to Lady and Bell had not only had all the Iffley and the Thames. It was seven when luggage conveyed to our respective rooms, we drew near Oxford. There were peo- but had ordered dinner, changed their atple sauntering out from the town to have tire, and were waiting for us in the square, their evening walk. When, at last, we old-fashioned, low-roofed coffee-room which stopped to pay toll in front of the old looks out into the High Street. A tall lichen-covered bridge across the Cherwell, waiter was laying the cloth for us; the the tower of Magdalen College, and the lights were lit all round the wall; our only magnificent elms on the other side of the companions were two elderly gentlemen way, had caught a tinge of red from the who sat in a remote corner, and gave dusky sunset, and there was a faint reflec- themselves up to politics; and Bell, having tion of crimson down on the still waters resolved to postpone her inquiry about that lay, among the rank green meadows. letters until next morning-in obedience Then we drove on into the High Street, to the very urgent entreaties of the Lieuand here, in the gathering dusk, the yellow tenant-seemed all the more cheerful for lamps were beginning to glimmer. Should that resolution. we pull up at the Angel- that famous hostelry of ancient times, whose name used to be inscribed on so many notable

But if our two friends by the fireplace could not overhear our talk, we could overhear theirs; and all the time we sat at dinner, we were receiving a vast amount of enlightenment about the condition of the country. The chief spokesman was a short, stout person, with a fresh, healthy, energetic face, keen grey eyes, bushy grey whiskers, a bald head, and a black satin waistcoat; his companion a taller and thinner man, with straight black hair, sallow cheeks, and melancholy dark eyes: and the former, in a somewhat pompous manner, was demonstrating the blindness of ordinary politicians to the wrath that was to come. Lord Palmerston saw it, he said. There was no statesman ever there would never

"Nothing could have more of that melancholy which once used to please me, than my last day's journey; for after having passed through my favourite woods in the forest, with a thousand reverles of past pleasures, I rid over hanging hills, whose tops were edged with groves, and whose feet watered with winding rivers, listening to the falls of cataracts below, and the murmuring of the winds above; the gloomy verdure of Stonor succeeded to these, and then the shades of evening overtook me. The moon rose in the clearest sky I ever saw, by whose solemn light I paced on slowly, without company, or any interruption to the range of my thoughts. About a mile before I reached Oxford, and the bells tolled in different notes; the clocks of every college answered one another and sounded forth (some in deeper, some in a softer tone) that it was eleven at night. All this was no ill preparation to the life I have led since among those old walls, venerable like Lord Palmerston galleries, stone porticoes, studious walks, and soli-be his like again. For was the North not tary scenes of the University."- Pope to Mrs. Martha Blount. [Stonor Park lies about two miles to the bound to fight the South in every counright of Bix turnpike.] try? And what should we do if the men

of the great manufacturing towns were to come down on us? There were two Englands in this island- and the Westminster Houses knew nothing of the rival camps that were being formed. And did not the North always beat the South? Did not Rome beat Carthage? and the Huns the Romans? and the Northern States the Southern States? and Prussia Austria? and Germany France? And when the big-limbed and determined men of Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester, Preston, Newcastle, and such towns, rose to sweep aside the last feudal institutions of this country, of what avail would be a protest on the part of the feeble and self-indulgent South?

are.

ford to dispraise themselves? Is it because they feel themselves so very safe in this island that they think little of patriotism? But I have observed this thing — that when it is a foreigner who begins to say such things of England, your countryman he instantly changes his tone. He may say himself bad things of his country; but he will not allow any one else. That is very good-very right. But I would rather have a Frenchman who is very vain of his country, and says so at every moment, than an Englishman who is very vain and pretends to disparage it. The Frenchman is more honest."

"But there are many Englishmen who think England wants great improvements," said Tita.

66

"This kingdom, Sir," said the gentleman with the satin waistcoat and gold Improvements! Yes. But it is anseals, in such lofty tones that Count von other thing you hear so many Englishmen Rosen scarcely minded his dinner, "this say, that their country is all wrong kingdom, Sir, is more divided at this mo- 'going to the dogs' is what you say for ment than it was during the Wars of the that. Well, they do not believe it true Roses. It is split into hostile factions; it is impossible to be true; and they do and which is the more patriotic? Neither. not look well with us foreigners when There is no patriotism left-only the self- they say so. For myself I like to see a ishness of class. We care no more for man proud of his country, whatever counthe country as a country. We are cos- try it is; and if my country were Engmopolitan. The scepticism of the first land, do not you think I should be proud French Revolution has poisoned our big of her great history, and her great men, towns. We tolerate a monarchy as a harm- and her powers of filling the world with less toy. We tolerate an endowed priest-colonies, and what I think most of all hood because we think they cannot make her courage in making the country free our peasantry more ignorant than they to every man, and protecting opinions that We allow pauperism to increase and she herself does not believe, because it is eat into the heart of the State, because right? When my countrymen hear Engwe.think it no business of ours to inter- lishmen talk like that, they cannot underfere. We see our lowest classes growing stand." up to starve or steal, in ignorance and dirt; our middle classes scrambling for wealth to get out of the state they were born in; our upper classes given over to luxury and debauchery-patriotism gone -continental nations laughing at us our army a mere handful of men with incompetent officers-our navy made the subject of destructive experiments by interested cliques-our Government ready to seize on the most revolutionary schemes to get together a majority and remain in power-selfishness, incompetence, indifference become paramount-it is horrible, Sir, it is Orrible."

You should have seen Bell's face - the pride and the gratitude that were in her eyes, while she did not speak.

"You would not have us go about praising ourselves for doing right?" said Tita.

"No," he said, "but you ought not to go about professing yourselves to be less satisfied with your country than you are."

Before breaking up for the night, we came to a reckoning about our progress, and probable line of route. Fifty-eight miles that was the exact distance, by straight road, we had got on our way to Scotland at the end of the third day.

In his anxiety to be emphatic, he left out that one "h; it was his only slip. "And to-morrow," said Tita, as she finOur Lieutenant turned to Tita, and said:ished giving the Lieutenant his first lesson "I have met many English people in in bezique, "counts for nothing, as we reGermany who have spoken to me like main here. Fifty-eight miles in three that. They do seem to have a pride in days looks rather small, does it not? But criticizing themselves and their country. I suppose we shall get there in course of Is it because they feel they are so strong, time." and so rich, and so good, that they can af

"Yes," said Bell, gently, as she put the

markers straight, "in Pollux' course of time."

My Lady rose, and in her severest tones ordered the girl to bed.

Bell and Count von Rosen together during our drive. I admit that I did so, and mean to do 80. We ought not to expect young folks to be always delighted with the society of their elders. It is only natural that these two young people should become companions; but what of that? And as to the speech about a villain, who ever saw one? Out of a novel or a play, I never saw a villain, and I don't know anybody who

deal of self-satisfaction in the notion that we four are all so angelic that it wants some disagreeable person to throw us into relief. Are we all painted in rose-colour? Looking back over these pages, I do not think so; but I am not surprised considering who had the wielding of the brush. And yet I think we have so far enjoyed ourselves very well, considering that I am supposed to be very hard to please and very quarrelsome. Perhaps none of us are so amiable as we ought to be; and yet we manage to put up with one another somehow. In the meantime, I am grieved to see Bell. without the intervention of any villain whatever, undergoing great anxiety; and I wish the girl had sufficient courage to sit down at once and write to Arthur Ashburton and absolutely forbid him to do anything so foolish as seek an interview with her If he should do so, it is impossible to say what may come of it, for Bell has a good deal of pride with all her gentleness. — T.”]

[Note by Queen Titania, written at Oxford, the day after our arrival there." If these jottings of our journey come to be published, I beg to say that, so far as I appear in them, they are a little unfair. I hope I am not so very terri-ever did. It seems to me that there is a good ble a person as all that comes too. I have noticed in some other families that a man of obstinate will and of uncertain temper likes nothing so much as to pretend to his friends that he suffers dreadfully from the tyranny of his wife. It is merely self-complacency. He knows no one dares thwart him; and so he thinks it rather humourous to give himself the air of being much injured, and of being very good-natured. I dare say, however, most people who look at these memoranda will be able to decide whether the trifling misunderstandings-which have been much exaggerated and made to look serious were owing to me. But as for Bell, I do not think it right to joke about her position at all. She does her best to keep up her spirits and she is a brave, good girl, who likes to be cheerful if only for the sake of those around her; but this affair of Arthur Ashburton is causing her deep anxiety and a good deal of vexation. Why she should have some vague impression that she has treated him badly, I cannot see; for the very reverse is the case. But surely it is unfair to make this lover's quarrel the pretext for dragging Bell into a wild romance, which the writer of the foregoing pages seems bent on doing. Indeed, with regard to this subject, I cannot do better than repeat a conversation which, with characteristic ingenuity, he has entirely omitted. He said to me, while we were wandering about Bensington and Bell had strolled on with Count von Rosen

I asked.

"Her marriage with the Lieutenant, and there is no villain to oppose it. Even if we had a villian, there is no room for him: the phaeton only holds four comfortably.'

"Really this was too much. I could scarcely control my impatience with such folly. I have said before that the girl does not wish to marry any one; but if there were any thought of marriage in her mind, surely her anxiety about that letter points in a different way. Of course I was immediately taunted with scheming to throw

CHAPTER VII.
ATRA CURA.

"O gentle wind that bloweth south,
To where my love repaireth,
Convey a kiss to his dear mouth,

And tell me how he fareth!"
"My dear, you are unphilosophical.
Why should you rebuke Bell for occasion-
ally using one of those quaint American
phrases, which have wandered into this
country. I can remember a young person
who had a great trick of quoting Italian —
especially in moments of tenderness - but
that was a long time ago- and perhaps
she has forgotten

"It is shameful of you," says Queen Titania, hastily, “to encourage Bell in that way. She would never do anything of the kind but for you. And you know very well that quoting a foreign language is quite a different thing from using those stupid Americanisms which are only fit for negroconcerts."

"My dear, you are unphilosophical. When America started in business on her own account, she forgot to furnish herself since she has been working hard to supply with an independent language; but ever the want. By and by you will find an American language-sharp, concise, expressive - built on the diffuse and heavy

foundations of our own English. Why should not Bell use those tentative phrases which convey so much in so few syllables? Why call it slang? What is slang but an effort at conciseness?

Tita looked puzzled; vexed, and desperate; and inadvertently turned to Count Von Rosen, who was handing the sugarbasin to Bell. He seemed to understand the appeal, for he immediately said

"Oh, but you do know, that is not the objection. I do not think Mademoiselle talks in that way, or should be criticized about it by any one; but the wrong that is done by introducing the slang words is, that it destroys the history of a language. It perverts the true meaning of roots takes away the poetry of derivations - it confuses the student."

it

ing was, that when we all came down prepared to go out for an exploration of Oxford, we found Bell at the window of the coffee-room, already dressed, and looking placidly out into the High-street, where the sunlight was shining down on the top of the old-fashioned houses opposite, and on the brand-new bank, which, as a compliment to the prevailing style of the city, has been built in very distinguished Gothic.

It was proposed that we should first go down and have a look at Christ Church. "And that will just take us past the post-office," said Bell.

66

Why, how do you know that? Have you been out?" asked Tita.

"No," replied Bell, simply. “But Count von Rosen told me where it was."

"And who thought of students when the "Oh, I have been all over the town this various objects in life were christened? morning," said the Lieutenant, carelessly. And whence came the roots? And is not "It is the finest town that I have yet seen language always an experiment, producing -a sort of Gothic Munich, but old, very fresh results as people find it convenient, old-not new and white like Munich, and leaving students to frame laws as they where the streets are asking you to look at like? And why are we to give up suc- their fine buildings. And I have been cinct words or phrases because the diction- down to the river - that is very fine, too aries of the last generation consecrated-even the appearance of the old colleges them to a particular use? My dear chil- and buildings from the meadows-that is dren, the process of inventing language wonderful." goes on from year to year, changing, modifying, supplying, and building up new islands out of the common sand and the sea. What to-day is slang, to-morrow is language, if one may be permitted to parody Feuerbach. And I say that Bell, having an accurate ear for fit sounds, shall use such words as she likes; and if she can invent epithets of her own

66

But, please, I don't wish to do anything of the kind," says Bell, looking quite shamefaced.

That is just the way of those women: interfere to help them in a difficulty, and they straightway fly over to the common enemy, especially if he happens to represent a social majority.

I began to perceive about this stage of our journey that a large number of small articles over which Bell had charge were now never missing. Whenever she wanted a map, or a guide-book, or any one of the things which had been specially entrusted to her, it was forthcoming directly. Nay, she never had, like Tita, to look for a hat, or a shawl, or a scarf, or a packet of bezique-cards. I also began to notice that when she missed one of those things, she somehow inadvertently turned to our Lieutenant, who was quite sure to know where it was, and to hand it to her on the instant. The consequence on this morn

“Have you made any other discoveries this morning?" said Queen Tita, with a gracious smile.

“Yes,” said the young man, lightly. “I have discovered that the handsome young waiter who gave us our breakfast that he has been a rider in a circus, which I did suspect myself, from his manner and attitudes and also an actor. He is a very fine man, but not much spirit. I was ask ing him this morning why he is not a soldier. He despises that, because you pay a shilling a day. That is a pity your soldiers are not-what shall I say?—respectable; that your best young men do not like to go with them, and become under-officers. But I do not know he is good stuff for a soldier- he smiles too much, and makes himself pleasant. Perhaps that is only because he is a waiter."

"Have you made any other acquaintances this morning?" says Tita, with a friendly amusement in her eyes. "No, no one - except the old gentleman who did talk politics last night. He is gone away by the train to Birmingham." "Pray when do you get up in the morning?"

quired about the students they are all read aloud. This is the first one, which gone home it is a vacation. And a shows the pains a boy will take to write young lady in a book-shop told me that properly to his mother, especially when he there is no life in the town when the stu- can lay his hands on some convenient dents are gone that all places close early guide-book to correspondence. that even the milliners' shops are closed just now at half-past seven, when they are open till nine when the students are here." And what," says my Lady, with a look of innocent wonder, "what have the students to do with milliners' shops that such places should be kept open on their ac

"COWLEY HOUSE, TWICKENHAM. "MY DEAR MAMMA, -I take up my pen to let you know that I am quite well, and hope health. My studdies are advancing favably, that this will find you in the engoyment of good and I hope I shall continue to please my teacher and my dear parents, who have been so kind to me, and are anxious for my wellfare. I look No one could offer a sufficient solution foward with much delight to the aproarching of this problem; and so we left the coffee-hollidays, and I am, my dear mamma, room and plunged into the glare of the "Your affectionate son, High-street.