We are immeasurably indebted to the late Violet Hunt, for her reconstruction of the period, and we have profited by her recording the names of many of the minor characters in this narrative, though we differ in our attitude and approach to The Wife of Rossetti.

It will be remembered that manuscripts were freely circulated among the writers of the fifties of the last century, therefore, we have in several instances, referred to books, prior to the date of publication.

The character of Godfrey Lushington, as outlined in this romance, is presented in a purely symbolic manner, for the sake of completing the old pattern and inspiring a new cycle of the original order of Sir Galahad, founded at Oxford by William Morris.

Lausanne
Lugano

1948

1948

PART I

I

If only he would stop talking.

She had heard it all before but mostly from Mum and Annie. He read to them evenings and with his black scarf, his thin face and long hands, sitting with his book under the lamp, he might have been that other (the only picture in the small room), blackened, almost defaced, whose very name they had forgotten - Christopher, Mum said they said in Sheffield, but it was at best, an indifferent likeness, perhaps only a copy and a bad copy at that, so it hadn't been sold up, along with the effects at Hope Hall. It was Dad's auctioneer cousin who said it would bring nothing. Let Charles Siddall have Christopher Siddall - leaving out that one "1"; his grandfather had added it, after the failure of the flax and bankruptcy.

It was Anna Grant de Hope who married Jacobus Sidall - and again in her thoughts, she spelt it differently, though Gabriel said she was Sidal really - de Grant de Hope.

Sudel or Suddel was carved on some of the oldest tombstones. Gabriel said he would take her to Hope Dale to see the carvings on the church front and "inside, there is sure

2.

to be," he said, "Per Bend Vert and Gules: an Eagle displayed,
somewhere."

That was the Greaves quartering.

Who would expect Dad to talk about his family? He had
cut her short once when she was a little girl. She had never
forgotten. She had not asked him again.

It was about the later coat that he was talking,
<u>Three Birds and the word Honour.</u>

It was after Harry began to call her the ginger-cat,
that she had chosen the Eagle. They were the <u>Three Birds</u>,
it was Annie's idea really. Annie, Lizzie and Lyddie
(Clara didn't count then) were <u>Three Birds</u>, Anna, Elizabeth
and Lydia. There were seven of them altogether, that is
counting Charlie. Annie and Charlie were both born in
Sheffield; Charlie died there. She, Lyddie, Clara and the
two boys were born in the old house, number 8, which Dad had
taken over for his business. "This is number 8, Kent Place,"
she said to herself. It was necessary to remind herself of
the <u>Three Birds</u>, having remembered Gabriel's joy in his dis-
covery of <u>Gules</u> and <u>Eagle displayed</u>. That is what she had
wanted to ask Dad - what are <u>Gules</u>?

She had not asked Dad, neither had she asked Gabriel.