It amuses
me to imagine the amazement of the barons, bold and belted knights,
could they be resuscitated for a sufficient length of time to gaze
upon the hydropathic establishments which dot their ancient hunting-
grounds. It would have been very difficult to interest the age of
chivalry in hydropathy.
Such is the fascination of historic association that I am sure, if I
could drag my beloved but conscientious Salemina from some foreign
soup-kitchen which she is doubtless inspecting, I could make even
her mourn the vanished past with me this morning, on the Beacon's
towering head. For Salemina wearies of the age of charity
sometimes, as every one does who is trying to make it a beautiful
possibility.
Chapter XVII. Short stops and long bills.
The manner of my changing from West to North Belvern was this. When
I had been two days at Holly House, I reflected that my sitting-room
faced the wrong way for the view, and that my bedroom was dark and
not large enough to swing a cat in. Not that there was the remotest
necessity of my swinging cats in it, but the figure of speech is
always useful. Neither did I care to occupy myself with the
perennial inspection and purchase of raw edibles, when I wished to
live in an ideal world and paint a great picture.
