me but the beautiful gothic walls--nothing above me but
the blue sky. It seemed a spot fitted for holy meditation, for
heavenly aspiration; it was a spot that might have been
selected when the Saviour's visible presence was withdrawn, by
that Mary who chose the good part which was never to be taken
from her. It might have been the resort of that Hannah who
departed not from the Temple but served the Lord with fastings
and with prayers day and night. It might have been the chosen
retreat of one who, amidst all the blessings of life, day by
day made preparation for the hour of death. The vision of such
a life, of a course of sacred duties, of holy affections, of
usefulness in life, of resignation in death, of humility in
time of weal, of peace in time of woe; such a vision passed
before my eyes even then, and my lips murmured: "Let me die
the death of the righteous, and let my latter end be like
his."

The sexton arrived with the key; and entering by the great
portal door, I wandered for nearly an hour through the aisles,
and lingered in the choir and in the chapel, though there was
scarcely light to do more than just to trace the outlines of
the masses of columns which rise in severe simplicity, and
arch above one's head at a height which, in the dimness of the
twilight, was scarcely discernible. After having visited the
cloisters, and been so beguiled by their beauty as to forget
that dinner was to be on the table at six o'clock, and that it
was now verging on the half-hour past, I hurried back to the
inn just as the first set of mutton-chops were coming up the
stairs, and had just time to close Mrs. Hatton's mouth with a
kiss as she was beginning to assure me, in answer to my
apologies, that there was nothing in the world she liked so
much as waiting for dinner.

The weather had grown close and warm; and we were glad,
immediately after we had finished eating, to have the table
cleared, and to draw our chairs to the open bow-window. It
commanded a view all down the street, which at that moment
bore the peculiarly dull and dusty appearance which streets in
provincial towns are apt to present on a summer's evening. Two
or three children were playing at marbles before one door, and
screaming at each other in that particular key which games of
this description call into exercise. Now and then a small cart
drove by, and a few people on foot occasionally walked past
the window. The clouds were gathering rapidly over the