316 THE LIFE OF JAMES D. FORBES. [CHAP. 



' I arrived here yesterday from iyons by a real " slow- 

 coach," which took sixteen hours to travel seventy miles. 

 During the whole day the heat was most oppressive, 

 with a stifling sirocco breeze, the thermometer standing 

 above 80. In the afternoon there was thunder, and to- 

 day wild deluges of rain are falling, with low, brooding 

 clouds a bad look-out for Chamounix ! But at least, 

 having passed through such an ordeal of hot weather, 

 I feel no anxiety whatever as to the remainder of my 

 journey, trusting to the wonted goodness of God to pre- 

 serve me from any unusual accident. 



' My first business here was to see Monseigneur Rendu, 

 and nothing could be more gratifying than my reception, 

 or more pleasing and engaging than the Bishop himself. 

 He was so cordial, so unselfish as to his own claims on 

 the plasticity theory, so much interested in my present 

 undertaking, that I was quite delighted with him. . . . 

 I am to dine with him to-morrow, and expect much 

 pleasure from conversing with him again. I shall not 

 make any stay here, and hope to be at Chamounix <>n 

 Tuesday evening. . . / 



To the Same, 



'MONTANVERT, July 20t/l. 



' . . . I sent off my last letter to you this morning, in 

 consequence of my rather sudden move up here, and 

 very glad I am to find myself here once more, surrounded 

 by the memories of so many pleasant days, amongst 

 them those spent here with you. The air is much 

 fresher and more bracing than that of Chamounix. 

 To-day I got as far as the Moulins, and feel quite 

 freshened. 



'Madame Couttet is really a fine body, and asked 

 most heartily after " ma femme " and " mes enfants," 

 while 'old Ferdinand at the " Union " looks upon me 

 quite as a " chamois vivant " in the house, and does not 

 like my coming up here. But although consideration 

 and respect are undeniably agreeable things and I get 

 enough of both to spoil me for any other place yet it 



