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The Four Corners Abroad

Chapter 7 ACROSS THE CHANNEL

Word Count: 3912    |    Released on: 01/12/2017

"and as long as we are all over here together we may as well make the most of our opportunities, for once you girls are in college there is no knowi

now in Paris with her party of girls, Jo had not f

g out your prize a little thinner so it will last longer, for I promise you shall be at no great expense. Miss Barnes will so soon be returning, that I have not the least doubt but that she will consent to your rema

len," Jo answered heartily

rty, anyhow, and have been with us most of the time, why not keep right on? I am sure it would be cheaper than going back to the Wadsworth school. I h

th you Miss Barnes must know, otherwise, I shall have to be ready to take passage when she does. I rea

for England, Aunt

ng back next week so we shall hav

e that we have had it tw

rt off at once, so as not to have to make two removes. We shall want to get to Munich as near t

know you are rather afraid of the English climate, and I don't wonder, but September will not be as dubious as April, I

f protest from the twins. "Don'

Mrs. Corner, "we can leave you with one or two of your

uld rush down to Torquay, or some such place if it turned suddenly chilly. I have a weakness for tagging along with these girls, strange as my taste might appear to

d!" cried

ay as well make out our line of march. Nan, just hand

hen it comes to the point of making out the rout

ce she wants most to see, and if her reason is good and sufficie

an," declared Nan

other,

ast time and did not take it in. There are three interests for me there: first, the cathedral, se

rom Calais to Dover we shall be exactly on the line to London when we take in Canterbury. By all

u, Aunt

o me and will be to you. So far it stands Dover, Ca

hen I was getting up my theme. I should so like to see that little Dove cottage where Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy lived, and t

kes if it is possible, for yours is a most wo

n't think I have to give any reason for

eautifully, for it is not far from Oxfo

ant to see, so leave out Cambridge if it is an out-of-the-way place. I a

aunt told her, "and when we get to London we will follow the same plan of choosing what we like best; then eve

"I'd like to see the white peaco

mother. "What castle, chickadee? Whe

k told me. H

. I remember that Mr. St. Nick and Miss Do

hink

s Helen. "We can include that in our Shakespeare c

ambs which would grow up to be sheep. The good things of life were generally uppermost in Jean's mind. She had re

ice," cried

voice, "I'm sure everybody feels cr

r aunt told her. "As for the Southdowns, we can perhaps come back by way of New Haven and Dieppe wh

regretfully. It was always a grievance whe

ke another, what would

" she decided, "I should l

"to go to England to see owls and peac

you want to go to the Zoo yourself. I've seen hooty owls, but not the moping kind

hat she is talking

or me not to know 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 name of the place, Aunt Helen, Stoke Poges? Thank

n't be sure of the owl. Let us see how our itinerary reads now. From Calais to Dover, to Canterbury,

id Mary Lee. "I really am not so very keen

an. "I know where you picked that up; from tho

say Oxford, Stratford-on-Avon and Warwick. We will try for the Lakes and let Jean eat her clotted cream in London, so that will leave out Devonshire, and if we come back by way of Dieppe we

Nan, "but we are trying to do a great deal in a very short time, which mother thinks is always a mistake. You see we gave

would be my limit. It is all due to that blessed aunt of yours. I

know she included you when she first thought of the advantage of it. O

no cinch,"

ation of English is much easier than to conquer that fearful German grammar; ours is mere child's play compared to it. You are not going to take all

w?" queried Mary Lee from the depth o

ent. "My word, but I'm a silly ass to think I can get all this in one box. How is that, Jo? Shall I be taken for an English girl, do yo

he pier at Dover. "If any one mentions the white cliffs of Dover to me," said Miss Helen at starting, "I'll cut out her special choice of places from the trip." A

e had to offer. Nan's romantic soul delighted in the banquet hall, the little gallery where the minstrels used to sit and the small ro

"This isn't nearly so old

romances and I do read E

shields to her heart's content. Jack was awe-stricken by the well three hundred feet deep, but

d before night, to be established in a quaint little

One doesn't need so much imagination to fancy the pi

beautiful close, admiring this fine ruin, that old porch until it was time for afternoon ser

g the rooks; she is crazy about them." But search as she would no Jack did she find, and finally decided to join the others in the church. She had scarcely seated herself, when, l

severely when she encountered her waitin

s standing in the doorway looking around for you all, and that nice pleasant lady came along and asked if I were alone. I s

u have been quite honored. I suppose you were out watc

ou," returned Jack complacently. She always comforted herself by deriving such benefit as she coul

e Huguenot church, and took Mary Lee with her as the others had planned to go to St. Martin's. "You can tell us about you

Nan when she met Mary

come Anglicized. Baker used to be Boulanger, and White used to be Blanc. Now the congregation is very small, and there is very little money to pay the minister, but he is full of faith, and is so enthusiastic and simple-hearted. He believes that everything will come out all right. Just think, Nan, if it were not for him the services would have to stop, and after all these years

n. "I am tremend

is so eager for the honor of this early church. He doesn't seem to care at all about himself. He ought to have a nice big rectory instead of that box of a house, and he believes that some day he will have, if it is best, but he thinks more of its being a dishonor to the church than of h

d they are called 'leper's squints,' for you see the lepers couldn't go inside but stood outside and peeped in. The verger saw we were more interested than most visitors are and he told us a lot. He showed us where the old wall began and where the authentic Roman bricks are. There is a beautiful view of the town and the cathedral from the churchyard. I brought you

me time we shall come over and spend a wh

ng a list of the places we love best and, as you say, some day we are coming back and we mean to stay a long time

thusiastic, but somehow that dear French pastor stirred me up so

d then London," said

en you were playing your tunes on a log for a make-believe piano and I was runnin

with lack of means they had enjoyed life in that old Virginia home. "Shall we ever be content to

said Mary Lee laughing. "I don't bel

ry Lee," said Nan wit

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