II 



AFTER wandering somewhat aimlessly about the 

 country for a couple of days, I stumbled by 

 chance on just such a spot as I had been wishing 

 to find a rustic village not too far away. It 

 was not more than twenty-five minutes' walk from 

 a small station, less than one hour by rail from 

 London. 



The way to the village was through cornfields, 

 bordered by hedges and rows of majestic elms. 

 Beyond it, but quite near, there was a wood, 

 principally of beech, over a mile in length, with 

 a public path running through it. On the right 

 hand, ten minutes' walk from the village, there 

 was a long green hill, the ascent to which was 

 gentle; but on the further side it sloped abruptly 

 down to the Thames. 



On the left hand there was another hill, with 

 cottages and orchards, with small fields inter- 

 spersed on the slope and summit, so that the 



6 



