216 WINTER SUNSHINE 



to heaven. I am perfectly confident I shall go there. 

 I know you do not like that." But why his hear- 

 ers should not like that did not appear. For my 

 part, I thought, for the good of all concerned, the 

 sooner he went the better. 



In the morning, I mounted the wall in front of 

 the cathedral, and, with a very lively feeling of 

 wonder and astonishment, walked completely around 

 the town on top of it, a distance of about two miles. 

 The wall, being in places as high as the houses, 

 afforded some interesting views into attics, cham- 

 bers, back yards, etc. I envied the citizens such a 

 delightful promenade ground, full of variety and in- 

 terest. Just the right distance, too, for a brisk turn 

 to get up an appetite, or a leisurely stroll to tone 

 down a dinner ; while as a place for chance meetings 

 of happy lovers, or to get away from one's compan- 

 ions if the flame must burn in secret and in silence, 

 it is unsurpassed. I occasionally met or passed other 

 pedestrians, but noticed that it required a brisk pace 

 to lessen the distance between myself and an attrac- 

 tive girlish figure a few hundred feet in advance of 

 me. The railroad cuts across one corner of the town, 

 piercing the walls with two very carefully con- 

 structed archways. Indeed, the people are very 

 choice of the wall, and one sees posted notices of 

 the city authorities ofi'ering a reward for any one 

 detected in injuring it. It has stood now some 

 seven or eight centuries, and from appearances is 

 good for one or two more. There are several towers 

 on the wall, from one of which some English king, 



