Pomander Walk

Pomander Walk

It lies out Chiswick way, not far from Horace Walpole's house where later Miss Pinkerton conducted her Academy for Young Ladies. It is still there, although it was actually built in 1710; but London has gradually stretched its tentacles towards it, and they will soon absorb it. Where Marjolaine and Jack made love, there will be a row of blatant shops, and Sir Peter's house will be replaced by a flaring gin-palace. It has fallen from its high estate nowadays; and Mrs. Poskett's prophecy has come true: one of its dainty housesI think it is the one in which the Misses Pennymint livedis now indeed occupied by a person who earns a precarious living with a mangle. Even in the days I am writing about, it was oldninety-five years oldand had seen many ups and downs; for I am writing of events that took place in 1805: the year of Trafalgar; the year of Nelson's death. Why it was called Pomander Walk is more than I can tell you. There is a tradition that the builder had inherited a beautiful gold pomander of Venetian filigree and that the word struck him as being pretty and having an old-world flavour about it. It certainly conferred a sort of quiet dignity on the crescent; almost too much dignity, indeed, at first, for it seemed to make the letting of the houses difficult. Common people fought shy of it, because of the name, yet the houses were so small that wealthy folkthe Qualitywouldn't look at them. Ultimately, however, they were occupied by gentlefolk in reduced circumstances; people who had an eye for the picturesque, people who sought retirement; and the owner was happy. ......Buy Now (To Read More)

Product details

Ebook Number: 47925
Author: Parker, Louis Napoleon
Release Date: Jan 9, 2015
Format: eBook
Language: English

Contributors

Illustrator: Williams, J. Scott (John Scott), 1877-1975