[A Flat Iron for a Farthing by Juliana Horatia Ewing]@TWC D-Link bookA Flat Iron for a Farthing CHAPTER IV 11/15
And he unmistakably nodded at me. "What is a rum little chap, Nurse ?" I inquired when we had fairly started once more. "It's very low language," said Mrs.Bundle, indignantly; and this fact depressed me for several miles. At about half-past eleven we rattled into Farnham, and stopped to lunch at "The Bush." I was delighted to get down from my perch, and to stretch my cramped legs by running about in the charming garden behind that celebrated inn.
Dim bright memories are with me still of the long-windowed parlour opening into a garden verdant with grass, and stately yew hedges, and formal clipped trees; gay, too, with bright flowers, and mysterious with a walk winding under an arch of the yew hedge to the more distant bowling-green.
On one side of this arch an admirably-carved stone figure in broadcoat and ruffles played perpetually upon a stone fiddle to an equally spirited shepherdess in hoop and high heels, who was for ever posed in dancing posture upon her pedestal and never danced away.
As I wandered round the garden whilst luncheon was being prepared, I was greatly taken with these figures, and wondered if it might be that they were an enchanted prince and princess turned to stone by some wicked witch, envious of their happiness in the peaceful garden amid the green alleys and fragrant flowers.
As I ate my luncheon I felt as if I were consuming what was their property, and pondered the supposition that some day the spell might be broken, and the stone-bound couple came down from those high pedestals, and go dancing and fiddling into the Farnham streets. They showed no symptoms of moving whilst we remained, and, duly refreshed, we now proceeded on our way.
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