Miss Winchelsea's Heart by H.G. Wells
Section [1 | 2 | 3]
miss Winchelsea's heart

by H .G .Wells

miss Winchelsea was going to Rome . the matter had filled her mind for a month or more, and had overflowed so abundantly into her conversation that quite a number of people who were_not going to Rome, and who were_not likely to_go to Rome, had made it a personal grievance against her . some indeed had attempted quite unavailingly to_convince her that Rome was not nearly such a desirable place as it_was reported to_be, and others had gone so_far as_to suggest behind her back that she was dreadfully " stuck up" about " that Rome of hers ." and little lily Hardhurst had told her friend Mr Binns that so_far as she was concerned miss Winchelsea might " go to her old Rome and stop there; she ( miss lily Hardhurst) wouldn't grieve ." and_the way in_which miss Winchelsea put herself upon terms of personal tenderness with Horace and Benvenuto Cellini and Raphael and Shelley and Keats-- if she had_been Shelley's widow she_could_not have professed a keener interest in_his grave-- was a matter of universal astonishment . her dress was a triumph of tactful discretion, sensible, but not too "touristy"'-- miss Winchelsea had a great dread of being "touristy"-- and her Baedeker was carried in a cover of grey to hide its glaring red . she made a prim and pleasant little figure on_the Charing cross platform, in_spite of her swelling pride, when at last the great day dawned, and she_could start for Rome . the day was bright, the channel passage would_be pleasant, and all the omens promised well . there_was the gayest sense of adventure in_this unprecedented departure .

she was going with two friends who had_been fellow-students with her at_the training college, nice honest girls both, though not so good at history and literature as miss Winchelsea . they both looked up_to her immensely, though physically they had to look down, and she anticipated some pleasant times to_be spent in "stirring them up" to her own pitch of aesthetic and historical enthusiasm . they had secured seats already, and welcomed her effusively at_the carriage door . in_the instant criticism of_the encounter she noted that Fanny had a slightly "touristy" leather strap, and_that Helen had succumbed to a serge jacket with side pockets, into which her hands were thrust . but they were much too happy with themselves and_the expedition for their friend to attempt any hint at_the moment about these things . as_soon_as_the first ecstasies were over-- Fanny's enthusiasm was a little noisy and crude, and consisted mainly in emphatic repetitions of " just fancy ! we're going to Rome, my dear ! --Rome ! "-- they gave their attention to_their fellow-travellers .Helen was anxious to secure a compartment to themselves, and, in_order to discourage intruders, got out and planted herself firmly on_the step . miss Winchelsea peeped out over her shoulder, and made sly little remarks about_the accumulating people on_the platform, at which Fanny laughed gleefully .

they were travelling with one of Mr Thomas Gunn's parties--fourteen days in Rome for fourteen pounds . they_did_not belong to_the personally conducted party, of_course-- miss Winchelsea had seen to_that-- but they travelled with it because of_the convenience of_that arrangement . the people were the oddest mixture, and wonderfully amusing . there_was a vociferous red- faced polyglot personal conductor in a pepper- and- salt suit, very long in_the arms and legs and very active . he shouted proclamations . when he_wanted to_speak to people he stretched out an arm and held them until his purpose was accomplished . one hand was full of papers, tickets, counterfoils of tourists . the people of_the personally conducted party were, it seemed, of two sorts; people the conductor wanted and could_not find, and people he_did_not want and who followed him in a steadily growing tail up and down the platform . these people seemed, indeed, to_think that their one chance of reaching Rome lay in keeping close to him . three little old ladies were particularly energetic in_his pursuit, and at last maddened him to_the pitch of clapping them into a carriage and daring them to emerge again . for_the rest of_the time, one, two, or three of_their heads protruded from_the window wailing inquiries about "a little wicker- work box" whenever he drew near . there_was a very stout man with a very stout wife in shiny black; there_was a little old man like an aged hostler .

" what can such people want in Rome ? " asked miss Winchelsea ." what can it mean to_them ? " there_was a very tall curate in a very_small straw hat, and a very short curate encumbered by a long camera stand . the contrast amused Fanny very_much . once they heard some one calling for "Snooks ." "I always thought that name was invented by novelists," said miss Winchelsea ." fancy ! Snooks .I wonder which_is Mr Snooks ." finally they picked out a very stout and resolute little man in a large check suit ." if he isn't Snooks, he ought_to_be," said miss Winchelsea .

presently the conductor discovered Helen's attempt at a corner in carriages ." room for five," he bawled with a parallel translation on_his fingers .a party of four together-- mother, father, and two daughters-- blundered in, all greatly excited ." it's all right, MA-- you let me," said one_of_the daughters, hitting her mother's bonnet with a handbag she struggled to_put in_the rack . miss Winchelsea detested people who banged about and called their mother " MA ." a young man travelling alone followed . he_was not at all "touristy" in_his costume, miss Winchelsea observed; his Gladstone bag was of good pleasant leather with labels reminiscent of Luxembourg and Ostend, and_his boots, though brown, were_not vulgar . he carried an overcoat on_his arm . before these people had properly settled in their places, came an inspection of tickets and aslamming of doors, and behold ! they were gliding out of Charing cross station on their way to Rome .

" fancy ! " cried Fanny, " we_are going to Rome, my dear ! Rome ! I don't seem to_believe it, even now ."

miss Winchelsea suppressed Fanny's emotions with a little smile, and_the lady who was called " MA" explained to people in general why they had " cut it so close" at_the station . the two daughters called her " MA" several_times, toned her down in a tactless, effective way, and drove her at last to_the muttered inventory of a basket of travelling requisites . presently she looked up ."Lor ! " she said, "I didn't bring them ! " both the daughters said "Oh, MA ! " but what " them" was did_not appear .

presently Fanny produced hare's Walks in Rome_, a sort of mitigated guide- book very popular among Roman visitors; and_the father of_the two daughters began to examine his books of tickets minutely, apparently in a search after English words . when he had looked at_the tickets for_a_long_time right way up, he turned them upside down . then he produced a fountain pen and dated them with considerable care . the young man having completed an unostentatious survey of_his fellow-travellers produced a book and fell to reading . when Helen and Fanny were looking out_of_the window at Chislehurst-- the place interested Fanny because the poor dear empress of_the French used to live there-- miss Winchelsea took the opportunity to observe the book the young man held . it_was not a guide- book but a little thin volume of poetry--_bound . she glanced at his face-- it seemed a refined, pleasant face to her hasty glance . he wore a little gilt _pince-nez ." do_you_think she lives there now ? " said Fanny, and miss Winchelsea's inspection came to an end .

for_the rest of_the journey miss Winchelsea talked little, and what she said was as agreeable and as stamped with refinement as she_could make it . her voice was always low and clear and pleasant, and she took care that on_this occasion it_was particularly low and clear and pleasant . as_they came under the white cliffs the young man put his book of poetry away, and when at last the train stopped beside the boat, he displayed a graceful alacrity with_the impedimenta of miss Winchelsea and her friends . miss Winchelsea " hated nonsense," but she was pleased to_see the young man perceived at once that_they were ladies, and helped them without any violent geniality; and how nicely he showed that his civilities were to_be no excuse for further intrusions . none of her little party had_been out of England before, and_they were all excited and a little nervous at_the channel passage . they stood in a little group in a good place near the middle of_the boat-- the young man had taken miss Winchelsea's carry- all there and had told her it_was a good place-- and_they watched the white shores of Albion recede and quoted Shakespeare and made quiet fun of_their fellow-travellers in_the English way .

they were particularly amused at_the precautions the bigger- sized people had taken against the little waves-- cut lemons and flasks prevailed, one lady lay full length in a deck chair with a handkerchief over her face, and a very broad resolute man in a bright brown "touristy" suit walked all the way from England to France along the deck, with_his legs as widely apart as Providence permitted . these were all excellent precautions, and nobody was ill . the personally- conducted party pursued the conductor about_the deck with inquiries, in a manner that suggested to Helen's mind the rather vulgar image of hens with a piece of bacon rind, until at last he went into hiding below . and_the young man with_the thin volume of poetry stood at_the stern watching England receding, looking rather lonely and sad to miss Winchelsea's eye .

and then came Calais and tumultuous novelties, and_the young man had_not forgotten miss Winchelsea's hold- all and_the other little things . all three girls, though they had passed government examinations in French to any extent, were stricken with a dumb shame of_their accents, and_the young man was very useful . and he_did_not intrude . he put them in a comfortable carriage and raised his hat and went away . miss Winchelsea thanked him in her best manner--a pleasing, cultivated manner-- and Fanny said he_was " nice" almost before he_was out of earshot ."I wonder what he_can_be," said Helen ." he's going to Italy, because I noticed green tickets in_his book ." miss Winchelsea almost told them of_the poetry, and decided not to_do_so . and presently the carriage windows seized hold upon them and_the young man was forgotten . it made them feel that_they were doing an educated sort of thing to travel through a country whose commonest advertisements were in idiomatic French, and miss Winchelsea made unpatriotic comparisons because there were weedy little sign- board advertisements by_the rail side instead of_the broad hoardings that deface the landscape in_our land . but the north of France is really uninteresting country, and after a time Fanny reverted to hare's Walks_, and Helen initiated lunch . miss Winchelsea awoke out of a happy reverie; she had_been trying to realise, she said, that she was actually going to Rome, but she perceived at Helen's suggestion that she was hungry, and_they lunched out of_their baskets very cheerfully . in_the afternoon they were tired and silent until Helen made tea . miss Winchelsea might_have dozed, only she knew Fanny slept with her mouth open; and as their fellow-passengers were two rather nice, critical- looking ladies of uncertain age-- who knew French well enough to_talk it-- she employed herself in keeping Fanny awake . the rhythm of_the train became insistent, and_the streaming landscape outside became at last quite painful to_the eye . they were already dreadfully tired of travelling before their night's stoppage came .

the stoppage for_the night was brightened by_the appearance of_the young man, and_his manners were all that could_be desired and_his French quite serviceable .

his coupons availed for_the same hotel as theirs, and by chance, as it seemed, he sat next miss Winchelsea at_the table d'hte . in_spite of her enthusiasm for Rome, she had thought out some such possibility very thoroughly, and when he ventured to_make a remark upon_the tediousness of travelling-- he let the soup and fish go by before he_did this-- she did_not simply assent to_his proposition, but responded with another . they were soon comparing their journeys, and Helen and Fanny were cruelly overlooked in_the conversation .. it_was to_be the same journey, they found; one day for_the galleries at Florence--" from what I hear," said the young man, " it_is barely enough,"-- and_the rest at Rome . he talked of Rome very pleasantly; he_was evidently quite well read, and he quoted Horace about Soracte . miss Winchelsea had " done" that book of Horace for her matriculation, and was delighted to cap his quotation . it gave a sort of tone to things, this incident--a touch of refinement to mere chatting .Fanny expressed a few emotions, and Helen interpolated a few sensible remarks, but the bulk of_the talk on_the girls' side naturally fell to miss Winchelsea .

before_they reached Rome this young man was tacitly of_their party . they_did_not know his name nor what he_was, but it seemed he taught, and miss Winchelsea had a shrewd idea he_was an extension lecturer . at any rate he_was something of_that sort, something gentlemanly and refined without being opulent and impossible . she tried once_or_twice to ascertain whether he_came from Oxford or Cambridge, but he missed her timid opportunities . she tried to_get him to_make remarks about_those places to_see if he_would say " come up" to_them instead of " go down,"-- she knew that was how you told a'Varsity man . he used the word "'Varsity"-- not university-- in quite the proper way .

they saw as_much of Mr Ruskin's Florence

Section [1 | 2 | 3]