THE COMPLETE CHANGE 129 



so completely with the stodginess of their caterpillar 

 existence. 



The heart of the valley holds one of the prettiest 

 villages in England, made of white-faced, grey-tiled 

 houses standing one above the other on the steep, 

 larch-crowned hillsides. Every front door is open to 

 admit the golden rays and the cool spicy breezes that 

 constitute the latest message of summer. Theirs is 

 the best position for a siege that sees the whole year 

 round, but we on our hill-top are undoubtedly better 

 off to-day. Shall we unfold our tent and pitch here 

 for the night under the beech bough gemmed with 

 tiny round leaves, whence the tawny owl may " whoo- 

 oo-oo " its wild lullaby and the blackbird call us at 

 sunrise ? 



Even in our poor London galleries there are com- 

 positions of coloured putty on rag that reveal a 

 succession of new beauties to him who sits before 

 one of them for hours yesterday, to-day, and to- 

 morrow. How much more should we spend dawns 

 and noons and waning evenings before some of these 

 marvellous works of nature that tourists dismiss gaily 

 after half an hour's inspection ? We can often pitch 

 our little tent at a point of vantage rather better than 

 that which men spend pounds in hotel bills and coach 

 rides to occupy while they can press a camera button. 

 The Ladies' View of the upper lake of Killarney just 

 begins to be seen when one has dozed on it, slept on 

 it, and awakened to see the dawn chase the morning 

 mists from its mirrors and the shadows of the mountains 

 from its green isles. The Gap of Dunloe and the 

 packed range of the McGillicuddies, with a new mood 

 for every hour of the day, make a camping-site near 

 9 



