CHAPTER II. 
A PARADISE OE FERNS. 
p^s'rf WAY into the heart of a Devon- 
shire lane ! The time is mid- 
summer, and the hot sun is pour- 
ing down his rays with burning 
intensity. But in yonder lane 
trees on each hedge that bounds 
the narrow pathway shoot up against the 
sky, and folding over at the top, shut 
out with their glorious masses of leaves 
the fiery heat. Beneath, the coolness is 
delicious, and the verdant foliage which bounds 
the view on every side, tempts the enamoured 
tourist to plunge into the depths of this 
cool retreat. But the walk through it must 
be a saunter, because its many and varied 
77 
