When I woke, at half-past twelve, Eliza was not there. She returned in
a few minutes, and said that she had been doing the church over again.
"That was hardly necessary," I observed.
"Oh, one must do something, and there's nothing else to do."
"On the contrary, there's luncheon. We'll have that at once, so as to
give us a good long afternoon."
"The afternoon will be long enough," she said. If I had not known that
she was having a day's enjoyment, I should have thought that she seemed
rather dejected in her manner.
* * * * *
The luncheon at the village inn was not expensive. Eliza said that
their idea of chops was not her idea; but all the same she seemed
inclined to spin the thing out and make it last as long as possible. I
deprecated this, as I felt that I could not very well take my boots off
again until I had returned to the field.
"Very well, then," she said. "Only let's go back slowly."
"As slowly as you like," I replied. "It's the right boot principally;
but I prefer to walk slowly."
When we had resumed our old position under the hedge, and I had removed
my boots, I said:
"Now, then, I think I've earned a pipe and a short nap. You amuse
yourself in any way you like."
"Do _what_ with myself?" she asked, rather sharply.
She walked twice round the field, and then I fell off to sleep. It
turned out afterward that she also did the picturesque old church for
the third time, and went over a house which was to let, refusing to
take it on the ground that there was no bath-room. This was rather
dishonest, as she would not have taken it if there had been a
bath-room, or even two bath-rooms. I would not do that kind of thing
myself. I awoke about tea-time. The charge for tea at the inn was very
moderate, though Eliza said that there was tea which was tea, and tea
which was an insult.
Eliza found that there was a train back at half-past six, and said she
was going by it, whether I did or not, because it was a pity to have
too much of a good thing, and she hadn't the face to ask for the keys
of that church again. I accompanied her. I fancy that the brown leather
is liable to shrink in the sun, and I was not unwilling to get back to
my slippers and stretch myself out on the sofa.
There is nothing like a long day in the country; quite apart from the
enjoyment, you feel that it is doing you so much good. I am sorry that
Eliza did not seem to enter into the spirit of the thing more.