CHAPTER III.
“Shells, Edward! bright polished shells and sea-weed!” cried Lewis, as he lifted the paper covering to a small basket which his mamma held in her hand; “where did you get them? not on this barren coast, I am sure; for Edward and I have searched every where, and can find nothing but common things, not worth picking up.”
The Pavilion, Brighton.
“And yet, Lewis,” replied his mother, “I assure you some of these shells were found here; and I believe you will see among them many of the common ones you despise so much; but the greater part were brought from foreign countries. And the beautiful little basket, that is something new too. Yes, perhaps you may hear the history of that another time. I have been to old Price’s dwelling, and have promised that you shall pay him a visit this evening, should the weather continue fine. But, if I mistake not, you are ready for a walk now:—the shells will furnish us with in-door employment some other time.”
The little party then turned their steps towards the east cliff.
“How I do wish, mamma,” said Lewis, when they had passed the Pavilion, “I could see all that is to be seen in that strange looking building! I should like to go over it, if it were only for the pleasure of being able to say, I had seen the place where the king and queen of England live.”
“Will it not do as well if I tell you all I can about it; for I think there is little chance of your gaining admission to the palace.”
“Not quite so well, mamma; but still it would be very entertaining: and, perhaps, if I were to go to the palace I might be disappointed in it; as much disappointed as Edward and I were in the king and queen. Do you know, we expected to see them dressed in velvet robes, and wearing crowns on their heads; and after all, we could not have told which were their majesties, if papa had not pointed them out to us: they were just like any other people.”
Mrs. Ashton smiled: she thought the king and queen would be much to be pitied, were they always obliged to wear heavy crowns on their heads and cumbersome dresses, such as Edward and Lewis had imagined. But she told Lewis, she did not think they would be disappointed in the Pavilion, could they obtain a sight of it, and she would do her best to describe it.
Now, thought Lewis, this will be much more entertaining to write in my book than the early history of Brighton, and Edward will know nothing about it; for Edward had run on before, and was at that moment leaning on the railing at the edge of the cliff, and looking down on the gay parties that passed to and fro on the chain-pier beneath.
This thought of Lewis’s, however, was immediately succeeded by another, and a better one, that in so doing he should not be acting kindly to his brother: so, loosing his arm from his mother’s, he said, “I am just going to call Edward;” and as he ran along he said to himself, “I am glad mamma did not think of it for me; there is so much more pleasure in doing what is right of one’s own accord: and though Edward would not have known I had prevented his sharing the pleasure, I should have blamed myself for it. I hardly know which is the worst, to blame one’s self, or be blamed by others: but then it mostly happens, when papa and mamma blame me, that I am vexed with myself too.” Then Lewis was going on to think, how he might, much oftener than he did, avoid giving himself this unnecessary pain; but just then his brother set off to run again; so Lewis shouted, “Edward! Edward! Stop; pray stop!”
Edward turned, on hearing his name called; and he was glad he did so, though he wanted very much to see the gentleman he had been watching throw another stone into the sea, for a beautiful Newfoundland dog to bring out again.
“Look, Lewis! there they go along the shore; now they have turned that point we cannot see them, unless we were to run further on.”
By this time Mrs. Ashton came up. “You look warm,” said she, “with your run: let us rest a little while on one of these friendly seats.”
“Oh! mamma,” said Edward, “how very, very beautiful the sea looks this morning: but what can be the reason that the colour of it is so different in different places?”
“I believe,” said Mrs. Ashton, “it is partly occasioned by the inequalities in the surface of the earth beneath the water, and partly by the different colour of the soil: clouds passing over it may also have some effect upon it.”
Edward said, he had been thinking a great deal of the different uses of the sea, and still he thought there must be some that had never occurred to him.
“Well, now, Edward,” said Lewis, who began to think he had waited long and patiently enough, “I am not going to be cheated out of my story about the Pavilion: you know we can look at the sea all the while mamma is talking to us.” “And,” added Mrs. Ashton, “Edward shall explain what he means to me another time; and perhaps I may be able to make the matter clearer to him.”
“Now, dear mamma,” said Lewis, “pray begin. Did you really go all over the Pavilion yourself, or have you only heard of its wonders from other people?”
“I saw the interior of this oriental building myself, Lewis, some years ago, when I was on a visit here with your uncle and aunt Brooks.”
Edward asked why his mother called it oriental.
“Because,” she said, “it resembles the palaces of the eastern princes. Some say that it was modelled from a design brought from China, by lord Amherst.”
“Ah!” said Edward, “our old friend, lord Amherst; he went to Batavia, you know, for help for captain Maxwell and his crew, after the wreck of the Alceste, while all those brave men were left on the little island of Puloleat.”
His mother said she was glad he remembered the story; and then went on to describe her visit to the Pavilion.
“We entered,” she said, “on the western side, where the garden is situated, and proceeded at once to a magnificent apartment, called the banquetting-room. I dare say you have not forgotten the farm-house at L——, where I told you I used to live before I knew your papa; and, when you recollect the plain old-fashioned, but comfortable rooms I had always been accustomed to there, you will not be surprised to hear, that my eyes were completely dazzled by the many splendid objects that here met their gaze. I could not tell which to examine first. Our conductor pointed out to us all that was worthy of remark, and then directed our attention to the dome above our heads. It is thirty feet in diameter, and eighty-five in height; the walls of the room rising twenty feet, are surmounted by an elegant cornice, on which are raised four beautiful arches, supported by golden columns; above these, the dome rises still higher, and represents an oriental sky, partly hidden by the branching foliage of a plantain-tree. From this is suspended, by means of various Chinese ornaments and symbols, a superb lustre, in the form of a lotus; which is a plant somewhat resembling our water-lily, and is the Eastern emblem of brightness and perfection. This apartment is in the south wing of the palace; in the north wing is the music-room; but I do not recollect any thing there that will particularly interest you. Between the banquetting and music rooms, in the centre of the building, is the rotunda, or saloon: this is deemed the most superb and elegantly furnished apartment in the palace. It is of an oblong form. A brilliant lustre is suspended from the centre of the ceiling, and others, of a smaller size, adorn the entrances to the apartment at the north and south. A beautiful chimney-piece of statuary marble faces the central window. The draperies were of crimson and gold: ottomans and chairs, covered with ruby-coloured silk, and framed with gold, constituted a part of the luxurious furniture. The carpet was of light-blue, beautifully wrought with Chinese subjects, in gold colour. But I should quite tire you were I to describe every thing that dazzled and astonished the eye in this abode of royalty; so I shall pass on to the king’s bed-room, where there appeared something more like quiet retired comfort. Every thing in it was, as you will suppose, well arranged. The dressing-room adjoining it leads into a delightful bath, into which hot and cold water are conducted at pleasure. And now, perhaps, it may amuse you to hear something of the Chinese gallery; though I fear I can hardly give you an idea of its gorgeous splendour. It is divided into five compartments, the central one is illuminated by a dome of tinted glass, and decorated with a representation of the God of Thunder, surrounded with his appropriate emblems, as described in the Chinese mythology. Corresponding ornaments adorn the adjoining compartments, which are partially separated from each other, by trellis-work of iron, in imitation of bamboo. The staircases, at each extremity, are lighted by horizontal skylights of beautiful stained glass. On the ceiling of one of the outer compartments, is exhibited the fum, or Chinese bird of royalty; on that of the other, the imperial dragon.”
Here Lewis interrupted, to ask if there really was such a bird as the fum. His mother told him, that “the Chinese are so singular a people, and so fond of mystery, that less is known of them or their country, than of almost any other nation. But travellers describe this bird as really existing, and being one of exquisite beauty, with a head much resembling the peacock’s. They say, that it is found in no other part of the world beside China, building its nest in the mountains near Pekin; and its absence for any considerable time is looked upon as an omen of misfortune to the royal family. The Chinese consider the shoulders of the fum an emblem of the virtues; their wings signify justice, their sides obedience, and their nest fidelity.”
“Well, dear mamma,” said Edward, finding that his mother did not proceed, “have you quite done with the Pavilion?”
Mrs. Ashton did not recollect anything else that would be likely to interest them: she was disappointed in the library, which contained but few books; the royal chapel, near the south wing of the palace, she hoped papa would be able to show them, on his return to Brighton.
Edward and Lewis thanked her for the treat in store for them, and for the entertaining account she had given them.
“And now,” said Mrs. Ashton, “I am quite rested; and we must not sit here any longer if we wish to see Kemp-Town this morning.”
Edward asked why it was so called, and was told that the buildings were erected on the estate of a gentleman of that name. They include a square of great extent, opening from the centre of a crescent, which is terminated at each end by a wing; and consist of elegant and commodious private dwellings, all commanding a view of the Channel. The fronts of the houses are adorned with Corinthian columns and entablatures, and surmounted with balustrades; and before them is spread a fine lawn, enclosed with cast-iron railings. Many of the houses, however, were uninhabited, which made Edward and Lewis think the place had an air of desolation.
“Perhaps,” said Mrs. Ashton, as they turned to go homewards, “you may like Kemp-Town better should you live to see it some years hence. Suppose now we return over the Downs, in order to vary our walk.”
The boys joyfully assented, and the party soon found themselves above the dusty road, and out of the immediate neighbourhood of houses.
Edward and Lewis were in high spirits; sometimes they toppled each other on the turf, or ran races together; and, when tired of such active games, they gathered the wild flowers that grew on that chalky soil, or turned to admire the wide-stretching ocean which lay beneath, and to inhale the fresh breeze which blew towards the shore. Those who have roamed the hills, with a clear blue sky above them, and soft turf beneath their feet, while the light breeze played around them, will know something of the pleasure which Edward and Lewis felt during their walk over the Downs, that bright summer morning.