Chapter 14
Wecaughtabreeze,afterlunch,whichtookusgentlyuppastWargraveandShiplake. Mellowedinthedrowsysunlightofasummer’safternoon,Wargrave,nestlingwheretheriverbends,makesasweetoldpictureasyoupassit,andonethatlingerslongupontheretinaofmemory.
The"GeorgeandDragon"atWargraveboastsasign,paintedontheonesidebyLeslie,R.A.,andontheotherbyHodgsonofthatilk. Lesliehasdepictedthefight;Hodgsonhasimaginedthescene,"AftertheFight"—George,theworkdone,enjoyinghispintofbeer.
Day,theauthorofSandfordandMerton,livedand—morecredittotheplacestill—waskilledatWargrave. InthechurchisamemorialtoMrs.SarahHill,whobequeathed1poundannually,tobedividedatEaster,betweentwoboysandtwogirlswho"haveneverbeenundutifultotheirparents;whohaveneverbeenknowntoswearortotelluntruths,tosteal,ortobreakwindows." Fancygivingupallthatforfiveshillingsayear! Itisnotworthit.
Itisrumouredinthetownthatonce,manyyearsago,aboyappearedwhoreallyneverhaddonethesethings—oratallevents,whichwasallthatwasrequiredorcouldbeexpected,hadneverbeenknowntodothem—andthuswonthecrownofglory. HewasexhibitedforthreeweeksafterwardsintheTownHall,underaglasscase.
Whathasbecomeofthemoneysincenooneknows. Theysayitisalwayshandedovertothenearestwax-worksshow.