A SUMMER SHOWER. 11 



there was only one solitary cottage which stood a few yards 

 distant, but that to our comfort had a porch,, within which we 

 were presently ensconced. Yet as the torrents continued to 

 descend, we soon found our place of refuge less secure than we 

 had deemed it. The porch was merely a rough trellis thickly 

 covered with clematis, and as the creeper got gradually soaked, 

 its yielding branches falling inwards, served only as conductors 

 of the dripping deluge. Here we would take occasion to 

 observe how a favourite pursuit may serve in some sort as a 

 shield against annoyance and impatience ; for even while our 

 sorry shelter was each moment lessening, we could not but 

 admire the gnats that were dancing up and down between the 

 rain-drops enabled by their acute sight and agile wings to 

 elude the falling streams which would else have been to them 

 as overwhelming water-spouts. We were not, however, so 

 entirely engrossed by thinking of the midges' wondrous pre- 

 servation as to be quite regardless of our own predicament, 

 and now halted, in our shower-bath, between the two more 

 active measures of running desperately through the torrent 

 before us, or of invading the peace of the cottage in our rear. 

 Our mind was made up to adopt the latter alternative, and a 

 hand was already stretched towards the little black knocker, 

 when the door opened and a tall thin old man, in appearance 

 what has been called the shabby-genteel, invited us to enter, with 

 a courteous expression of regret at not having seen us sooner. 

 Having stood long enough already, we did not stand on 



