CHAPTER I

,buthappynowinathoroughlynicewayandshewouldprobablyhavegonebackinthiswarmedandsolacedconditiontoheraunt'shouseinBedfordSquareandaneveningwithabookandanearlybedifhereyehadnotbeencaughtbyaposteroutsideanofficesortofplaceshewaspassing,apictureofwaterandmountains,withwrittenonitinbigletters: AWEEKINLOVELYLUCERNE SEVENDAYSFORSEVENGUINEAS THOSEWHOINTENDTOJOINNEXTTRIPINQUIRE WITHIN NowIngeborg'smaternalgrandmotherhadbeenaSwede,acreatureoftoughnessandskillonskis,ayoungwoman,whencaughtsurprisinglybythewashed-outEnglishtouristIngeborg'sgrandfather,drenchedinfrankreadingandthinkingandinthesmelloftheaboundingforestsandinwoodstrawberriesandsourcream.Shehadlived,uptothedaywhenforsomequiteundiscoverablereasonsheallowedherselftobemarriedtothenarrowstranger,inthemiddleofbigbeautifulthings—bigstretchesofwater,bigmountains,bigwinds,biglonelinessesandIngeborg,whohadneverbeenoutofEnglandandhadspentyearsinthesoftandsoppywest,seeingthepictureofthegreatlakeandthegreatskyinthewindowinRegentStreet,feltaquickgriponherheart. Itwasthefingersofhergrandmother. Shestoodstaringatthepicture,half-remembering,tryinghardtorememberquite,somethingbeautifulandelusiveandremotethatonceshehadknown—oh,thatonceshehadknown—butthatshekeptonsomehowforgetting.Theurgenciesofdailylifeinepiscopalsurroundings,thebreathlesspursuitofherduties,theeffortalldaylongtocatchthemupandbeevenwiththem,theBishop'sbuttons,theBishop'sspeeches,theBishop'sdeparturesbytrains,hisall-pervadingnesswhenathome,hisall-engulfingmassofcorrespondencewhenaway—"SheismyRightHand,"hewouldsayinstatelypraise—theRedchestertea-partiestowhichhermothercouldn'tgobecauseofthesofa,thecountygarden-partiestowhichJudithhadtobetaken,thecallers,thebazaars,thecathedralservices,thehurry,thenoise—lifeathomeseemedthenoisiestthing—thesehadsmotheredandhidden,beatendown,putoutandsilencedthathighlyimportantandunrecognizedpartofher,herlittlebitoflurkinggrandmother.Now,however,thistoughbutimpulsiveladyrosewithinherinallhermight.Hergranddaughterwasinexactlytherightstateforbeinginfluenced.Shewasstandingtherestaring,longing,seethingwithScandinavia,andpresentlyarguing. Whyshouldn'tshe?TheBishop,asshehadremarkedwithwonderearlierintheafternoon,seemedtohavefadedquitepallidthatlongwayoff.Andarrangementshadbeenmade.HehadengagedanextrasecretaryhischaplainhadbeenwarnedJudit