1840-1842] By Sea to Tenby 55 



able servant that ever breathed. I hope you will never part 

 with him. Our good luck took leave of us almost the 

 moment we left. At the station, where confusion was worse 

 confounded, 150 persons running from one coach to another 

 as if they were mad, Sismondi and I among the runners, we 

 got our pockets picked and were left penny] ess for the rest 

 of our journey, but for Fanny. At Reading 1 we very nearly 

 lost Fanny, and Sismondi by a trick detained the coach, 

 pretending he could not get down, and the coachman swear- 

 ing he must drive off, and I with my head out of the window 

 screaming " Fanny." . . . We began our voyage most agree- 

 ably, sitting causy in the carriage, till we arrived at the 

 great sea, when oh ! what a change ! ! waves washing over 

 us and pouring into the carriage in spite of the windows 

 up wind, rain, horrors indescribable below, whither I was 

 soon driven. And then what groans and cries, not a sopha 

 or chair vacant. I lay upon the ground groaning too, and 

 that for nearly 16 hours. You may imagine the delight of 

 arriving. About one o'clock we heard, " We are off Tenby," 

 and in half-an-hour we were in Sad's [Harriet Surtees] 

 delicious room a fire (for it was very cold), fruit, flowers 

 and tea. None of us could sleep for joy, and every day since 

 I have been in an ecstasy. I do little but look out of the 

 window at the coming and going sea, the bathers, the 

 walkers, the merry dogs, riders, and ass riders that cover 

 the shore. We are terribly becousined, there never was a 

 greater crowd collected together, and we have visits from 

 immediately after breakfast till dinner at 5 o'clock, so that 

 it is hardly possible to do anything or to gossip among our- 

 selves till night. Harriet and I sleep in the same room and 

 are often found talking till 1 o'clock. 



Give my love to your husband and my grateful thanks 

 for his munificent reception of us, even when not there to 

 do the honours. I hope his silver will not suffer. I found 

 he had left out wine also, in short I never saw such a recep- 

 tion, invisible as it was. It was like having entered an 



1 The railway stopped at Reading. It was continued to Bristol 

 in 1841. Presumably they went by coach from Reading to Bristol 

 and there took ship, sitting in their own carriage. 



