She was only moving to let her pew-fellows pass out, and was waiting
for him to come for her, as he did in a few moments, and he too was
all pleasure and cordiality. He told us when we were outside that
he had come up to preach, and 'had brought Miss Anne up for a
spree.' They were at a hotel, Mrs. Fordyce was at home, and the
Lesters were not in town this season--a matter of rejoicing to us.
Could we not come home and dine with them at once? We were too much
afraid of disappointing Gooch to do so, but they made an appointment
to meet us at the Royal Academy as soon as it was open the next
morning.
There was a fortnight of enjoyment. Parson Frank was like a boy out
for a holiday. He had not spent more than a day or two in town for
many years; Anne had not been there since early childhood, and they
adopted Clarence as their lioniser, going through such a country-
cousin course of delights as in that memorable time with Ellen.
They even went down to Eton and Windsor, Frank Fordyce being an old
Etonian. I doubt whether Clarence ever had a more thoroughly happy
time, not even in the north of Devon, for there was no horse on his
mind, and he was not suppressed as in those days. Indeed, I
believe, it is the experience of others besides ourselves that there
is often more unmixed pleasure on casual holidays like this than in
those of early youth; for even if spirits are less high (which is
not always the case), anticipations are less eager, there is more
readiness to accept whatever comes, more matured appreciation, and
less fret and friction at contretemps.
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