CHAPTER II 



1887 



On the last day of July lie left England for Switzer- 

 land, and did not return till the end of September. 

 A second visit to Arolla worked a great change in 

 him. He renewed his Gentian studies also, with 

 unflagging ardour. The following letters give some 

 idea of his doings and interests : — 



Hotel dit Mont Collon, Arolla, Switzerland, 

 Aug. 28, 1887. 



My dear Foster — I know jon will be glad to hear 

 that I consider myself completely set up again. We 

 went to the Maderaner Thai and stayed a week there. 

 But I got no good out of it. It is charmingly pretty, 

 but damp ; and, moreover, the hotel was 50 per cent too 

 full of people, mainly Deutschers, and we had to turn 

 out into the open air after dinner because the salon and 

 fumoir were full of beds. So, in spite of all prudential 

 considerations, I made up my mind to come here. We 

 travelled over the Furca, and had a capital journey to 

 Evolena, Thence I came on muleback (to my great 

 disgust, but I could not walk a bit uphill) here. I began 

 to get better at once ; and in spite of a heavy snowfall 

 and arctic weather a week ago, I have done nothing but 



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