The Argosy — page 246: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Far Normandy. 227 played and flitted about shelves and pans, cast by the flickering flames. | Not a soul was visible, but a waiter crossing the yard at the moment had seen us enter, and giving the landlord notice, the latter soon appeared on the scene. By dint of great force of will and power of argument, the dining-room was besieged and taken, a gas-burner was lighted, casting more ghostly shadows in the long, bare room, and we sat down to a very modest repast, where the bread was all crust, the viands were very much flavoured with garlic, and the cheese had to be kept under a glass shade. H. C., who is a philosopher, and to whom nothing comes amiss, upon principle, made the most of his opportunity ; just as in Majorca the greatest mysteries in the form of dishes were those he most revelled in; but I had to be contented with dry bread; the garlic had to be abandoned, and when the cheese was uncovered, the room had to be forsaken. After our very light repast, we went forth into the town in search of the cathedral. We had not to search long. A turning almost in front of the hotel very soon brought us before the noble pile. Very noble it looked to-night, outlined in the darkness. Against the background of the sky its proportions seemed gigantic. There was a silence and solemnity about it that was infinitely effective. The towers rose grandly, and the spires seemed to mount upwards and touch the heavens. Absolute silence reigned. Not a creature was: about but ourselves ; not a crow rose uneasily in answer to our foot- steps, not an owl complained ‘to the veiléd moon” that we disturbed her solitary reign. Even in the darkness we could distinguish the beauty of the north doorway, and trace the fine outlines of the large windows, the rich gothic decoration of the pinnacles, the delicate flying buttresses and _ the imposing beauty of the central tower, with its spire, where again _ the small flying buttresses could be faintly outlined in the night. Seen in this obscurity there was an indescribable dignity and grandeur about the whole building, which promised much for the morrow. _ Would it be confirmed, or should we on the morrow be disillusioned _ of our first impressions ? _ Alas, even by this light, we saw that at least one great disappoint- | ment would await us. The cathedral was in the hands of the restorers, _ those Goths and Vandals who are, I suppose, necessary evils. Much of the building was surrounded by temporary palings, within which » lay huge blocks of stone, and all the other signs of a mason’s yard ) and a mason’s ruthless work. So great was the restoration in process _ that at the east end it seemed to be a species of demolition. At the | present moment, indeed, there appears to be a mania for restoration ) in Normandy, and we scarcely visited an important church or cathe- dral that was not more or less disfigured by scaffolding. We left the cathedral to its repose, and wandered about the streets of the town in further search of the picturesque. We found it CORNICLOO© ) SS) (S©) am