The Argosy — page 255: what you’re looking at

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

236 Far Normandy. architecture is flamboyant, very graceful and refined, and it has all the beauty and dignity of age. Its walls are grey, and very beautiful in tone. <A lovely hexagonal turret is built out for the staircase, sur- mounted by an exquisite conical roof, and you approach the doorway by a small and beautiful flight of steps, which are not sufficiently apparent in our illustration. ‘The roof is slated and slants steeply upwards, in admirable keeping with the rest of the building. A young boy came forward and offered to show us over the inte- rior. It was worthy of itself. ‘The rooms are large and panelled ; with ancient windows—in part modernised—and cross-beamed ceil- ings. You tread upon floors carefully waxed and guiltless of carpet. On the right we were shown the dining-room, in which a modest luncheon of wine and bread and soup was spread. Perhaps the savoury baked meats were to follow. ‘“‘T bid you hasten here,” said the youth in a quaint French style, which seemed to adapt itself to his surroundings: ‘ for Monseigneur’s secretary 1s about to take luncheon.” ‘And Monseigneur ?” we naturally asked. ‘““He is absent for his holidays,’ was the reply, exactly as if he spoke of a schoolboy and not of a reverend bishop. ‘‘ He will not be back for a fortnight.” Even as we left the room the secretary, robed in priestly gar- ments, entered. He moved quietly as a shadow, and had he been a monk could not have been more silent. But he gave us a grave and polite bow as we passed away and the door closed him in. We were quite sure now that the savoury baked meats were to follow. Quietly as he moved, he was large and rubicund ; he might possess the silence of the monks, but never the asceticism. The reception rooms opposite were large and imposing, full of a deep, dark tone, and shedding abroad an atmosphere that seemed full of learning and spoke of many pious and dignified lives to which they had done homage. ‘The quiet and repose of centuries lay upon them. Up the quaint winding staircase we passed into the library : a fine room, full of ancient and rare volumes, and wonderfully illuminated manuscripts of great antiquity. Here and there these ~ parchment volumes had been wickedly handled ; by visitors who had no conscience or principle, said our youthful guide—who in this learned atmosphere looked like a young philosopher; and many a no-doubt splendidly illuminated initial and border had been cut out with a penknife and removed. There were many fine portraits of bishops dead and gone hang- ing upon the panelled walls; and quaint tables and chairs, massive and ancient, completed the imposing scene. From the windows, forming part of the enclosure of the courtyard, rose the south walls of the cathedral. Here was no sign of restoration, and we gazed upon the building in all its venerable beauty. Beautiful, indeed, and graceful, very noble and dignified it looked. All the work going Gomilcbooks.co