An English holiday with car and camera . d modern furniture, though ofitself it was ancient enough. But I do not thinkthat I could have slept so unconcernedly in eitherof those musty, panelled rooms at the Nunnery ;for, after all is said, ones surroundings do influencethe mind, and there is an uncomfortable sort otfeeling in spending the lonely watches of the nightin an ancient panelled chamber, suggestive of secretpassages behind the panelling, so that it may beentered at any time, though the door be fast closedand bolted. The muUioned windows of thesechambers were adorned by sundry coats-of-
An English holiday with car and camera . d modern furniture, though ofitself it was ancient enough. But I do not thinkthat I could have slept so unconcernedly in eitherof those musty, panelled rooms at the Nunnery ;for, after all is said, ones surroundings do influencethe mind, and there is an uncomfortable sort otfeeling in spending the lonely watches of the nightin an ancient panelled chamber, suggestive of secretpassages behind the panelling, so that it may beentered at any time, though the door be fast closedand bolted. The muUioned windows of thesechambers were adorned by sundry coats-of-armsgorgeously emblazoned in stained glass by the art-craftsman of centuries ago ; and we were impressedby the fact that though everything else about wasfaded and dim, the colours burnt into the fragileglass were as bright and as fresh as though theywere the production of yesterday. There nowonly remained the chapel for us to inspect, theone cheerful apartment in the building, about whichthere hung the faint scent of incense. After this. XVIII THE OPEN COUNTRY 333 we took our departure into the modern outer world,for within the Nunnery we had dwelt in an atmo-sphere of the past. Very fresh and green looked the country, andbrightly blue the sky, after the time-dimmed interiorof that ancient mansion. I am afraid I should makebut a poor monk, for my soul delights in the joyand the freedom of the wide, open world, and couldnot long endure the bondage of stone walls. Theglamour of a place is gone when you have to livein it under compulsion. Remounting the car weonce more proceeded on our pleasant pilgrimage,and quickly came to the pretty little village ofHarvington, snugly nestled amongst woods, andvery charming it looked with its half-timberedcottages and little gardens gay with old-fashionedflowers, as though existing for the sake of the land-scape painter. And where in other lands will youfind such picturesque villages and hamlets as youmay still meet with in Old England ? Beyond
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