othing could have been further removed
from that attitude than her behaviour during the afternoon. She
displayed a keen interest in her first view of the Strand and Fleet
Street, and though her criticisms of those ancient thoroughfares were
the reverse of complimentary, she was evidently impressed by the vast
solemnity of the cathedral itself. The usual congregation of stragglers
were dotted about on the chairs in the nave; dreary-looking derelicts
from God knows where, who drift in through the open doorways seeking
refuge from heat in summer, and cold in winter, and listen with
apathetic indifference to the passing services. Guest seated himself by
Cornelia's side at the end of an unoccupied row, but for all the notice
she paid him, he might as well have been at his aunt's reception miles
away. Only once, as the boys' voices soared upwards in a strain of
almost unearthly sweetness, did she turn her face towards him, in
involuntary appeal for sympathy, and at that moment there could no
longer be any doubt as to her looks. She was beautiful; so beautiful
that Guest was dazzled by the sight of the white, kindled face.

The service was an unmitigated success; an hour to cherish in memory,
but in the sight-seeing expedition which followed, there was no denying
the fact that Cornelia _jarred_! Even the most phlegmatic of Englishmen
must be roused to a feeling of pride by such a review of the deeds of
his countrymen as is set forth in a national cathedral; it may be even
conceded that his attitude may be a trifle irritating to strangers from
distant lands; be that as it may Guest and Cornelia seemed fated to view
everything from different points of view. Where he waxed enthusiastic,
she displayed cool commonsense; when he stood dumb, she criticised the
design of the sculpture, and speculated as to the cost; she guessed it
was "playing it pretty low down on Wellington to stow him away in a
cellar," and made scathing remarks by Gordon's memorial. "You muffed it
badly that time! Guess if he'd belonged to _us_, he'd have been hopping
round still!"

Guest was thankful to mount the narrow staircase leading to the golden
gallery, for Cornelia was so essentially a creature of to-day that he
felt more in sympathy with her in the air and the sunshine, with the
echo of the great city rising to their ears. They stood side by side,
while the breeze blew elf-like tendrils of hair round the girl's face.
The gentle expression of h