THE BATH ROAD 31 



fight a mortal duel in Calcott Park. Nor did she 

 trouble to assign any cause why Child — if such lot were 

 to be his — should be skewered like a chicken. This 

 sounds like Dumas, but the barrister thought it meant 

 business, and repaired to the place named sword in hand. 

 He found the fair Miss Kendrick, masked, and still 

 " unbeknownst," awaiting him, 



" ' So now take your chance,' says she, 

 ' Either fight or marry me.' 

 Said he, ' Madam, pray what mean ye ? 

 In my life I ne'er have seen ye.'" 



In fact he proposed point-blank that she should unmask, 

 not perhaps caring to take a pig in a poke. The lady 

 however remained firm and incognito, when the intrepid 

 Child, fortified perhaps by a view of Calcott House, 

 which formed a grateful background to the scene, told 

 the lady that he preferred to wed her than to try her 

 skill. Upon which in the twinkling of an eye he found 

 himself 



" Clothed in rich attire 



Not inferior to a squire " — 



in fact master of Calcott. Fortunate man ; romantic 

 times, say I. They were only so far back as 1712. 



Two miles beyond Calcott the Bath Road runs through 

 Theale, where on the Old Angel inn the traveller's 

 eyes at least may be feasted. And in this neighbour- 

 hood, the memory of Pope once more adds lustre to the 

 way. For at Ufton Nervet lived Arabella Fermor, the 

 Belinda of The Rape of the Lock. Arabella must have 

 passed down the road many a time on her way from 

 Ufton to Hampton Court. 



" Where mighty Anna, whom three realms obey, 

 Doth sometimes counsel take and sometimes tea," 



perhaps in the society of her celebrator ; for Pope him- 

 self was frequently a visitor at Ufton. Many of his 



