198 LETTERS TO MARCO xxix 



beneath the protection of tall beech trees on 

 a steep chalky bank ; but I have since seen it 

 growing at Ipsden on a rabbit-warren, quite 

 in the open, where it was of a far more ragged 

 character in growth. The flower is rather 

 insignificant, and has a vicious and uncanny 

 look. The rabbits evidently carefully avoided 

 it. It is not a common plant, nor nearly 

 so beautiful as the woody nightshade, but 

 it is deadly poisonous, and is the plant 

 from which belladonna is derived. The 

 old-fashioned name of the plant is dwale, 

 probably derived from deuil y the French for 



mourning. 



The other plant, which I had never seen, 

 is one which is not found at all in this 

 neighbourhood, and yet I saw it here by a 

 curious chance twice on the same day. Last 

 year Alma Tadema was at Streatley for a 

 short time during the summer. I went over 

 to see him one afternoon, and found Mrs. 

 Tadema sitting in the garden, and by her 

 side a pot containing a little plant which I at 



