Philip Van Doren Stern (ed) (203 page)

This
was
the
dream
he
remembered;
but
it
seemed
to
him
(as,
again, it
often
does)
that
there
had
been
others
of
the
same
import
before, but
not
so
insistent.
He
lay
awake
for
some
little
time,
fixing
the details
of
the
last
dream
in
his
mind,
and
wondering
in
particular what
the
figures
had
been
which
he
had
seen
or
half
seen
on
the carved
capital.
Something
quite
incongruous,
he
felt
sure;
but
that was
the
most
he
could
recall.

Whether
because
of
the
dream,
or
because
it
was
the
first
day
of
his holiday,
he
did
not
get
up
very
early;
nor
did
he
at
once
plunge
into the
exploration
of
the
country.
He
spent
a
morning,
half
lazy,
half
instructive,
in
looking
over
the
volumes
of
the
County
Archaeological
Society's
transactions,
in
which
were
many
contributions
from
Mr. Baxter
on
finds
of
flint
implements,
Roman
sites,
ruins
of
monastic establishments—in
fact,
most
departments
of
archaeology.
They
were written
in
an
odd,
pompous,
only
half-educated
style.
If
the
man
had had
more
early
schooling,
thought
Fanshawe,
he
would
have
been
a very
distinguished
antiquary;
or
he
might
have
been
(he
thus
qualified his
opinion
a
little
later),
but
for
a
certain
love
of
opposition
and
controversy,
and,
yes,
a
patronizing
tone
as
of
one
possessing
superior knowledge,
which
left
an
unpleasant
taste.
He
might
have
been
a
very respectable
artist.
There
was
an
imaginary
restoration
and
elevation
of a
priory
church
which
was
very
well
conceived.
A
fine
pinnacled
central
tower
was
a
conspicuous
feature
of
this;
it
reminded
Fanshawe
of that
which
he
had
seen
from
the
hill,
and
which
the
Squire
had
told him
must
be
Oldbourne.
But
it
was
not
Oldbourne;
it
was
Fulnaker Priory.
"Oh,
well,"
he
said
to
himself,
"I
suppose
Oldbourne
Church may
have
been
built
by
Fulnaker
monks,
and
Baxter
has
copied
Oldbourne
tower.
Anything
about
it
in
the
letter-press?
Ah,
I
see
it
was published
after
his
death—found
among
his
papers."

After
lunch
the
Squire
asked
Fanshawe
what
he
meant
to
do.

"Well,"
said
Fanshawe,
"I
think
I
shall
go
out
on
my
bike
about four
as
far
as
Oldbourne
and
back
by
Gallows
Hill.
That
ought
to
be a
round
of
about
fifteen
miles,
oughtn't
it?"

"About
that,"
said
the
Squire,
"and
you'll
pass
Lambsfield
and Wanstone,
both
of
which
are
worth
looking
at.
There's
a
little
glass
at Lambsfield
and
the
stone
at
Wanstone."

"Good,"
said
Fanshawe.
"I'll
get
tea
somewhere,
and
may
I
take the
glasses?
I'll
strap
them
on
my
bike,
on
the
carrier."

"Of
course,
if
you
like,"
said
the
Squire.
"I
really
ought
to
have some
better
ones.
If
I
go
into
the
town
to-day,
I'll
see
if
I
can
pick
up some."