But little time was wasted after the preliminaries were agreed upon. Something was said about following the route and the practice of some latter-day Canterbury pilgrims, and walking from London to that celebrated shrine. A party of Australian friends, not very dissimilar in number and artistic taste, had done so some years since, sending on their baggage by coach and rail to the terminus of each stage. But the elders of this party dissented from the proposition.
In the first place, it was unnecessarily fatiguing; also expensive in time. They had an extended tour to consider, and would find that, although they claimed to be over the average, as pedestrians, sufficient exercise would be provided before their return.
Moderate counsels prevailed, and though the younger division were eager for the Pilgrim’s staff and Cockle-shell business, the rail and coach party carried its amendment. After this, what was to be the first objective? The Lakes—Windermere, Grasmere, the Wordsworth country, Rydal Mount, and so on. Yes, decidedly.
They were fortunate in finding a decent hostelry near Grasmere, which served as a _pied à terre_, whence they could sally forth into the ‘royaulme of faerye,’ and revel in memories of the glorious dead. Here was the Poet’s ‘little nook of mountain ground,’ overlooking the Lake of Grasmere. Here he lived for eight years, hither he brought his bride—
The perfect woman, nobly planned To warn, to comfort, and command,
with whom he lived, in purest love and unclouded happiness, even unto his life’s end.
The inn was not pretentious; there was no crowd of tourists to conduce to landlordly independence and the heightening of prices. But it was delicately clean; host and hostess were thankful for the patronage of such a company, and duly respectful. The view from their chamber windows was extensive and romantic, commanding a prospect of the vale of the Rothay and the distant waters of the Lake.
‘Now that breakfast is over,’ said Vanda—‘and, oh! what a lovely sleep I had—and every one seems to have eaten enough to last till to-morrow morning, I vote that we lose no time, but get over to Rydal Mount the very first thing. Luckily the day is fine. I suppose we must walk?’