t
House. There seemed to be only one big street, but we supposed the rest
of the city was hidden away somewhere.

There was a large inn, with a green before it, and the red-wheeled
dog-cart was standing in the stable-yard, and the lady, with Denny and
the others, sitting on the benches in the porch looking out for us. The
inn was called the "George and Dragon," and it made me think of the
days when there were coaches and highwaymen and footpads and jolly
landlords, and adventures at country inns like you read about.

"We've ordered tea," said the lady. "Would you like to wash your hands?"
We saw that she wished us to, so we said yes, we would. The girls and
Denny were already much cleaner than when we parted from them.

There was a court-yard to the inn and a wooden staircase outside the
house. We were taken up this, and washed our hands in a big room with a
fourpost wooden bed and dark red hangings--just the sort of hangings
that would not show the stains of gore in the dear old adventurous
times.

Then we had tea in a great big room with wooden chairs and tables, very
polished and old.

It was very nice tea, with lettuces and cold meat and three kinds of
jam, as well as cake, and new bread, which we are not allowed at home.

While tea was being had the lady talked to us. She was very kind. There
are two sorts of people in the world, besides others: one sort
understand what you're driving at and the other don't. This lady was the
one sort.

After every one had had as much to eat as they could possibly want, the
lady said, "What was it you particularly wanted to see at Canterbury?"

"The cathedral," Alice said, "and the place where Thomas a Becket was
murdered."

"And the Danejohn," said Dicky.

Oswald wanted to see the walls, because he likes the story of St.
Alphege and the Danes.

"Well, well," said the lady, and she put on her hat; it was a really
sensible one--not a blob of fluffy stuff and feathers put on sideways
and stuck on with long pins, and no shade to your face, but almost as
big as ours, with a big brim and red flowers, and black strings to tie
under your chin to keep it from blowing off.

Then we went out all together to see Canterbury. Dicky and Oswald took
it in turns to carry Denny on their backs. The lady called him "The
Wounded Comrade."

We went first to the church. Oswald, whose quick brain was easily
aroused to suspicions, was afraid the lady might begin talking in the
church, bu