ss maiden of the heath and finally gave up the
quest."

[Illustration: LUDLOW CASTLE, THE KEEP AND ENTRANCE.]

When we left the castle, though nearly noon, the custodian was still
belated, and we yet owe him sixpence for admittance, which we hope to
pay some time in person. A short walk brought us to the church--"the
finest parish church in England," declares one well qualified to judge.
"Next to the castle," he says, "the glory of Ludlow is its church, which
has not only the advantage of a commanding site but, as already
mentioned, is held to be one of the finest in the country." It is built
of red sandstone and is cruciform in shape, with a lofty and graceful
tower, which is a landmark over miles of country and beautiful from any
point of view. I have already mentioned the chime of bells which flings
its melodies every few hours over the town and which are hung in this
tower. The monuments, the stained-glass windows and the imposing
architecture are scarcely equalled by any other church outside of the
cathedrals.

We had made the most of our stay in Ludlow, but it was all too short.
The old town was a revelation to us, as it would be to thousands of our
countrymen who never think of including it in their itinerary. But for
the motor car, it would have remained undiscovered to us. With the great
growth of this method of touring, doubtless thousands of others will
visit the place in the same manner, and be no less pleased than we were.

From Ludlow we had a fine run to Worcester, though the road was
sprinkled with short, steep hills noted "dangerous" in the road-book.
Our fine weather was very transient, for it was raining again when we
reached Worcester. We first directed our steps to the cathedral, but
when nearly there beheld a large sign, "This way to the Royal Porcelain
Works," and the cathedral was forgotten for the time by at least one
member of our party. The Royal Porcelain Works it was, then, for hadn't
we known of Royal Worcester long before we knew there was any
cathedral--or any town, for that matter? It is easy to get to the Royal
Porcelain Works: a huge sign every block will keep you from going astray
and an intelligent guide will show you every detail of the great
establishment for only a sixpence. But it is much harder and more costly
to get away from the Royal Worcester Works, and when we finally did we
were several guineas poorer and were loaded with a box of fragile ware
to excite the suspicions