It
was a favourite joke to ask Emily what Ellen reported about Bath
fashions, and to see her look of scorn. For they were a curious
mixture, those girlish letters, of village interests, discussion of
books, and thoughts beyond their age; Tommy Toogood and Prometheus;
or Du Guesclin in the closest juxtaposition with reports of progress
in Abercrombie on the Intellectual Powers. It was the desire of
Ellen to prove herself not unsettled but improved by love, and to
become worthy of her ideal Griffith, never guessing that he would
have been equally content with her if she had been as frivolous as
the idlest girl who lingered amid the waning glories of Bath.
We all made them a visit there when Martyn was taken to a
preparatory school in the place. Mrs. Fordyce took me out for
drives on the beautiful hills; and Emily and I had a very delightful
time, undisturbed by the engrossing claims of love-making. Very
good, too, were our friends, after our departure, in letting Martyn
spend Sundays and holidays with them, play with Anne as before, say
his Catechism with her to Mrs. Fordyce, and share her little Sunday
lessons, which had, he has since told, a force and attractiveness he
had never known before, and really did much, young as he was, in
preparing the way towards the fulfilment of my father's design for
him.
When the Rectory was ready, and the family returned, it was high
summer, and there were constant meetings between the households.
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