ying to enter Surrey
churches, but Beddington, which is one of the most finely decorated,
offered the most prolonged opposition of all. I arrived there about
three o'clock in the afternoon, and finding the doors locked, inquired
of one who emerged from a stoke-hole where I might get the keys. I might
not get them, he replied; the church was being cleaned. But might I not
just look round, having come a long way to see the church? I might not:
she was cleaning the reredos. Might not one who wished to write about
the church enter while she was cleaning the reredos? One might not; much
had been written of the church already. Would he be so good as to direct
me to the rectory? He would, and did; and as I walked away shouted after
me that the rector was certainly out. But I found him in, and very
courteous to a stranger; and I learned that, as I had hoped, the rule
was that the church should be opened every day. He gave me his card, and
wrote a message on it, and with the card I went back to the church. The
verger had disappeared. He was neither in the churchyard nor the
stoke-hole. A stonemason working in the churchyard came to my
assistance. The verger was in the church and would doubtless open the
door if I knocked. I knocked. Nothing happened. The stonemason knocked;
indeed, he knocked a great deal. I begged him to stop knocking, for
passers-by stayed to see what this thing might be, but he was thoroughly
interested, and went on knocking. Perhaps he knocked for a quarter of an
hour. A young girl came up to tell us that the door would certainly open
before half-past four, for that was tea-time. Just then the door opened,
and before it was shut again in our faces I just had time to brandish
the card. He replied at once--he would let me in by another door. He did
so; he never asked to see the card, but went on industriously with his
sweeping.

Perhaps no building in Surrey has been more carefully restored than
Beddington church, nor more richly decorated. The chancel with its
frescoes and mosaics, and the carved and painted roof are probably as
fine as anything of the kind in any parish church. But is the result
attained the result aimed at? The richness, the glamour of gold and
purple and rare woods and stones are there, as they must have been in
Solomon's temple. But to me the simplicity and cool quiet of aisles and
white pillars sometimes seem to forsake such gorgeousness and glow.

There are many interesting monuments a