just brushed the carpet within the chancel to such immaculate
dustlessness that he could not bring himself to let us walk over
it. He let us walk round it, and we saw the chapel as a favor,
which we discharged with an abnormal tip after severe debate
whether a person of this verger's rich respectability and perfect
manner would take any tip at all. In the event it appeared that
he would.


* * * * *




NINE DAYS' WONDER IN YORK


Perhaps it would be better to come to York somewhat earlier in
the year than the 2d of September. By that time the English
summer has suffered often if not severe discouragements. It has
really only two months out of the year to itself, and even July
and August are not always constant to it. To be sure, their
defection cannot spoil it, but they dispose it to the slights of
September in a dejection from which there is no rise to those
coquetries with October known to our own summer. Yet, having said
so much, I feel bound to add that our nine days in York, from the
2d to the 12th of September, were more summer than autumn days,
some wholly, some partly, with hours of sunshine keeping the
flowers bright which the rain kept fresh. If you walked fast in
this sunshine you were quite hot, and sometimes in the rain you