eau judged me
exactly. I am in love with her.... I am head over heels in love with
her. I have never been so much in love or so truly in love with anyone
before."

Section 11

That was the dawn of a long day of tension for Sir Richmond and Miss
Grammont. Because each was now vividly aware of being in love with the
other and so neither was able to see how things were with the other.
They were afraid of each other. A restraint had come upon them both, a
restraint that was greatly enhanced by their sense of Belinda, acutely
observant, ostentatiously tactful and self-effacing, and prepared at the
slightest encouragement to be overwhelmingly romantic and sympathetic.
Their talk waned, and was revived to an artificial activity and waned
again. The historical interest had evaporated from the west of England
and left only an urgent and embarrassing present.

But the loveliness of the weather did not fail, and the whole day was
set in Severn landscapes. They first saw the great river like a sea
with the Welsh mountains hanging in the sky behind as they came over the
Mendip crest above Shipham. They saw it again as they crossed the hill
before Clifton Bridge, and so they continued, climbing to hill crests
for views at Alveston and near Dursley, and so to Gloucester and the
lowest bridge and thence back down stream again through fat meadow lands
at first and much apple-blossom and then over gentle hills through wide,
pale Nownham and Lidney and Alvington and Woolaston to old Chepstow and
its brown castle, always with the widening estuary to the left of them
and its foaming shoals and shining sand banks. From Chepstow they turned
back north along the steep Wye gorge to Tintern, and there at the snug
little Beaufort Arms with its prim lawn and flower garden they ended the
day's journey.

Tintern Abbey they thought a poor graceless mass of ruin down beside
the river, and it was fenced about jealously and locked up from their
invasion. After dinner Sir Richmond and Miss Grammont went for a walk in
the mingled twilight and moonlight up the hill towards Chepstow. Both of
them were absurdly and nervously pressing to Belinda to come with them,
but she was far too wise to take this sudden desire for her company
seriously. Her dinner shoes, she said, were too thin. Perhaps she
would change and come out a little later. "Yes, come later," said Miss
Grammont and led the way to the door.

They passed through the garden. "I think we go up