Of one thing he felt assured. If Miss Wycliffe turned out to be some
one else, she would hold no interest for him, not even if she possessed
all the indescribable qualities of which Cardington had hinted.
Speculating upon this possibility, he scarcely listened now to the
words of his companion swinging on ahead, as they came brokenly to his
ears in the gusts of wind.




CHAPTER IV

THE BISHOP'S DAUGHTER

The bishop's house was situated about half a mile from the college on
Birdseye Avenue, the principal residence street of Warwick. A forest
aisle and city thoroughfare combined, this vista of ancient elms
suggested the inspiration of those Gothic cathedrals of the Old World
from whose associations and influence the Puritans had fled away.
During their transit beneath this splendid nave, Cardington entertained
his companion with an account of the house they were to visit, its
history and architectural pretensions. In sharp distinction to the
prevalent style of building, the episcopal residence suggested a Tudor
palace. Its pointed windows, its dentilated battlements, its miniature
turrets, would have been impressive on a larger scale, in stone, but
being of wood, in a reduced proportion, they appeared an inadequate
plagiarism, which not even the extensive grounds could shield from
criticism. Seen at night-time, however, the counterfeit was far less
glaring. The form, rather than the material, attracted the eye; the
ecclesiastical windows glimmering among the trees, the antique lantern