2 A FLITTING 



ill my great coat: there was notliing particularly 

 refreshing in the sight of frost-hitten creepers and 

 chrysanthemums in January. To walk about the 

 streets in the suburbs, or even in the city, was dreary 

 too, when there was no object in view, nothing to 

 do in fact but to spend the time. But, after all, 

 the dreariness was in myself; I was thoroughly 

 unwell, overworked, and everybody said there must 

 be a rustication. The Doctor added the casting vote: 

 — " Bad case of nervous dyspepsia ; you must give 

 up study, and go out of town." I succumbed. 



"Now where shall it be ? Leamington — Ton- 

 bridge Wells — Clifton?" No, none of these; since 

 I must go, it shall be to the sea-shore ; I shall 

 take my microscope with me, and get among the 

 shells and nudibranchs, the sea- anemones and the 

 corallines. What part so promising as the lovely 

 garden of England, fair Devonshire ?" 



Devonshire then was decided on. But North or 

 South Devon ? The Bristol or the British Chan- 

 nel ? Ilfracombe or Torquay ? Each had its claims 

 for preference, each was unknown, each was said to 

 be "comely in its kind;" South Devon I knew 

 (by report) to be rich in its marine zoology ; North 

 Devon was described as magnificent in scenery. 

 Each too had its objections. The South was too 

 relaxing for a nervous complaint ; the North was 

 out of the world, and difficult of access in winter. 

 So nearly were the pros and cons balanced, that 

 the very evening before the time determined on for 

 starting left the point suhjudice, when a friend calling, 

 a Torquay man, settled it. 



