“They say that the Abbey is remarkably beautiful,” said Mrs. Pitt, “but I’ve never been fortunate enough to see it at any nearer range. The house is not very old, having been erected in the eighteenth century, but it stands on the site of a Cistercian Abbey, of which one gateway still remains.”
It was late when they reached the hotel at Leamington, and they were forced to hurry in order to be dressed in time for dinner. The gong found them all assembled, however, for such a day of sight-seeing makes one hungry. They all had a good laugh at Betty, for when she was caught in a “brown study,” and Mrs. Pitt asked to hear her thoughts, she replied:
“Oh, I was thinking over what a lovely day it has been,—especially at Kenilworth!” and then added with a sigh, “If I only could know who that guide was, everything would be perfect!”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
SHERWOOD FOREST AND HADDON HALL
Betty could scarcely sit still in the train which was carrying her towards Mansfield, from sheer excitement at the anticipation of actually seeing the haunts of Robin Hood. Ever since Mrs. Pitt had mentioned that town as the gateway of the Sherwood Forest of Betty’s dreams, the name had seemed an enchanted one to her. As they had come only the comparatively short journey from Leeds, they arrived at Mansfield in the middle of the morning, and being Friday, the public square presented its usual busy scenes of market-day. Vendors were shouting their wares, long-suffering babies who had been unwillingly brought along were crying, women were loudly chattering in shrill voices, and a poor little dog, who in some mysterious way was being made to play a part in a Punch and Judy Show, was yelping piteously.
“Well,” began Betty, who could think of only Robin Hood—her dear hero, whose story was about to be made even more vivid to her—“perhaps this is the very market where he came when he had bought out the butcher’s stock of meat and was selling it for kisses to the lasses of the town. Oh, do you suppose it is the same place?”
“Why, no!” interrupted John, in the decisive tones which he always used when confident of his superior knowledge. “‘Nottingham Town’ was where Robin Hood and his whole gang of fellows always went!”