cloistered quiet of the college began to close around her。
She was not at first disappointed。 The big college built of
stone; standing in the quiet street; with a rim of grass and
lime trees all so peaceful: she felt it remote; a magic land。
Its architecture was foolish; she knew from her father。 Still;
it was different from that of all other buildings。 Its rather
pretty; plaything; Gothic form was almost a style; in the dirty
industrial town。
She liked the hall; with its big stone chimney…piece and its
Gothic arches supporting the balcony above。 To be sure the
arches were ugly; the chimney…piece of cardboard…like carved
stone; with its armorial decoration; looked silly just opposite
the bicycle stand and the radiator; whilst the great
notice…board with its fluttering papers seemed to slam away all
sense of retreat and mystery from the far wall。 Nevertheless;
amorphous as it might be; there was in it a reminiscence of the
wondrous; cloistral origin of education。 Her soul flew straight
back to the medieval times; when the monks of God held the
learning of men and imparted it within the shadow of religion。
In this spirit she entered college。
The harshness and vulgarity of the lobbies and cloak…rooms
hurt her at first。 Why was it not all beautiful? But she could
not openly admit her criticism。 She was on holy ground。
She wanted all the students to have a high; pure spirit; she
wanted them to say only the real; genuine things; she wanted
their faces to be still and luminous as the nuns and the monks
faces。
Alas; the girls chattered and giggled and were nervous; they
were dressed up and frizzed; the men looked mean and
clownish。
Still; it was lovely to pass along the corridor with ones
books in ones hands; to push the swinging; glass…panelled door;
and enter the big room where the first lecture would be given。
The windows were large and lofty; the myriad brown students
desks stood waiting; the great blackboard was smooth behind the
rostrum。
Ursula sat beside her window; rather far back。 Looking down;
she saw the lime trees turning yellow; the tradesmans boy
passing silent down the still; autumn…sunny street。 There was
the world; remote; remote。
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