Dearest Mamma,—­I don’t think I care about looking at churches much.  They don’t smell here as they do in France, but on the other hand they look deserted, and as if no one cared a pin, and there are generally repairs going on or monuments piled up at the side waiting to be put back or something that doesn’t look tidy—­in the big ones I mean, like York and Hernminster that we saw yesterday.  Mr. Doran drove us in on the coach, and Lady Theodosia sat on the box beside him.  It was too wonderful to see her climbing up, and from the near side she completely hid Mr. Doran; the reins looked as if they were staying up by themselves, you could not see even his hands, her mountainous outline blocked all the space.  Miss Everleigh and Mr. Roper and I and Sir Augustus sat in the seat behind the box seat, and the other Everleigh sat with her father in the back, while Mr. Harrington had to go inside with Lady Tyneville as she was afraid of the cold wind.  They must have had a nice time, for both poodles were in there too, and one terrier, and we could hear them barking constantly.  Fanny, who has a wonderful sense of balance, was poised somewhere on Lady Theodosia.  The horses are beauties and we went at a splendid pace.

[Sidenote:  An Agreeable Drive]

Sir Augustus doesn’t seem so old when he is sitting by you; he said a lot of nice things to me.  We went straight to the “Red Lion” and had lunch, and it was a horrid meal, everything over or underdone, and messy and nasty.  The dinner at a teeny place like Caudebec in France was delicious.  I wonder why food at country hotels in England is so bad?  At Retby Lady Theodosia won’t touch anything unless it is absolutely perfect.  She sent a dish away yesterday just because a whiff of some flavouring she does not like came to her, but at the “Red Lion” she did not grumble at all; it must be for the same reason that wetting their feet doesn’t give French people cold if it is at a national sport, that made her put up with the lunch because it was English and had always been the same.

I was glad to have a nice piece of cheese.  All the time I was with Godmamma I was not allowed to, as it isn’t considered proper for girls there, and when I asked Victorine why one day, she told me it gave ideas, and was too exciting, whatever that could mean.  So at the “Red Lion” I just had two helpings to see, as this is the first chance I have had, as you don’t care for cheese at home.  But nothing happened, I did not feel at all excited, so it must be because they are French.  Mustn’t it?

[Sidenote:  Country Shopping]

First we went to a curiosity shop before going to the Cathedral, and there was such an odd man owned it.  “My good Griggson,” Lady Theodosia called him; he seemed quite pleased—­although we none of us bought anything—­and so friendly with Lady Theodosia.  When we had finished trotting about looking at the old streets and the Cathedral, we went to buy some mauve silk to line a cushion that Lady Tyneville has embroidered as a present to Lady Theodosia.  It is so funny in these country shops, they always bring you what you don’t want.  Lady Tyneville said she wanted mauve, and showed her pattern, and after some time the girl who served her came back and said, “Oh! we are out of mauve, but green is being very much worn.”