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their　lugs；　waiting　while　the　tide　made；　as　hovellers　will。'　　（One

of　the　two　boatmen；　thoughtfully　regarding　me；　shut　up　one　eye；

this　I　understood　to　mean：　first；　that　he　took　me　into　the

conversation：　secondly；　that　he　confirmed　the　proposition：　thirdly；

that　he　announced　himself　as　a　hoveller。）　　'All　of　a　sudden　Mr。

Clocker　and　me　stood　rooted　to　the　spot；　by　hearing　a　sound　come

through　the　stillness；　right　over　the　sea；　LIKE　A　GREAT　SORROWFUL

FLUTE　OR　AEOLIAN　HARP。　　We　didn't　in　the　least　know　what　it　was；

and　judge　of　our　surprise　when　we　saw　the　hovellers；　to　a　man；　leap

into　the　boats　and　tear　about　to　hoist　sail　and　get　off；　as　if　they

had　every　one　of　'em　gone；　in　a　moment；　raving　mad！　　But　THEY　knew

it　was　the　cry　of　distress　from　the　sinking　emigrant　ship。'



When　I　got　back　to　my　watering…place　out　of　the　season；　and　had

done　my　twenty　miles　in　good　style；　I　found　that　the　celebrated

Black　Mesmerist　intended　favouring　the　public　that　evening　in　the

Hall　of　the　Muses；　which　he　had　engaged　for　the　purpose。　　After　a

good　dinner；　seated　by　the　fire　in　an　easy　chair；　I　began　to　waver

in　a　design　I　had　formed　of　waiting　on　the　Black　Mesmerist；　and　to

incline　towards　the　expediency　of　remaining　where　I　was。　　Indeed　a

point　of　gallantry　was　involved　in　my　doing　so；　inasmuch　as　I　had

not　left　France　alone；　but　had　come　from　the　prisons　of　St。　Pelagie

with　my　distinguished　and　unfortunate　friend　Madame　Roland　（in　two

volumes　which　I　bought　for　two　francs　each；　at　the　book…stall　in

the　Place　de　la　Concorde；　Paris；　at　the　corner　of　the　Rue　Royale）。

Deciding　to　pass　the　evening　tete…a…tete　with　Madame　Roland；　I

derived；　as　I　always　do；　great　pleasure　from　that　spiritual　woman's

society；　and　the　charms　of　her　brave　soul　and　engaging

conversation。　　I　must　confess　that　if　she　had　only　some　more

faults；　only　a　few　more　passionate　failings　of　any　kind；　I　might

love　her　better；　but　I　am　content　to　believe　that　the　deficiency　is

in　me；　and　not　in　her。　　We　spent　some　sadly　interesting　hours

together　on　this　occasion；　and　she　told　me　again　of　her　cruel

discharge　from　the　Abbaye；　and　of　her　being　re…arrested　before　her

free　feet　had　sprung　lightly　up　half…a…dozen　steps　of　her　own

staircase；　and　carried　off　to　the　prison　which　she　only　left　for

the　guillotine。



Madame　Roland　and　I　took　leave　of　one　another　before　mid…night；　and

I　went　to　bed　full　of　vast　intentions　for　next　day；　in　connexion

with　the　unparalleled　chapter。　　To　hear　the　foreign　mail…steamers

coming　in　at　dawn　of　day；　and　to　know　that　I　was　not　aboard　or

obliged　to　get　up；　was　very　comfortable；　so；　I　rose　for　the　chapter

in　great　force。



I　had　advanced　so　far　as　to　sit　down　at　my　window　again　on　my

second　morning；　and　to　write　the　first　half…line　of　the　chapter　and

strike　it　out；　not　liking　it；　when　my　conscience　reproached　me　with

not　having　surveyed　the　watering…place　out　of　the　season；　after

all；　yesterday；　but　with　having　gone　straight　out　of　it　at　the　rate

of　four　miles　and　a　half　an　hour。　　Obviously　the　best　amends　that　I

could　make　for　this　remissness　was　to　go　and　look　at　it　without

another　moment's　delay。　　So　…　altogether　as　a　matter　of　duty　…　I

gave　up　the　magnificent　chapter　for　another　day；　and　sauntered　out

with　my　hands　in　my　pockets。



All　the　houses　and　lodgings　ever　let　to　visitors；　were　to　let　that

morning。　　It　seemed　to　have　snowed　bills　with　To　Let　upon　them。

This　put　me　upon　thinking　what　the　owners　of　all　those　apartments

did；　out　of　the　season；　how　they　employed　their　time；　and　occupied

their　minds。　　They　could　not　be　always　going　to　the　Methodist

chapels；　of　which　I　passed　one　every　other　minute。　　They　must　have

some　other　recreation。　　Whether　they　pretended　to　take　one

another's　lodgings；　and　opened　one　another's　tea…caddies　in　fun？

Whether　they　cut　slices　off　their　own　beef　and　mutton；　and　made

believe　that　it　belonged　to　somebody　else？　　Whether　they　played

little　dramas　of　life；　as　children　do；　and　said；　'I　ought　to　come

and　look　at　your　apartments；　and　you　ought　to　ask　two　guineas　a…

week　too　much；　and　then　I　ought　to　say　I　must　have　the　rest　of　the

day　to　think　of　it；　and　then　you　ought　to　say　that　another　lady　and

gentleman　with　no　children　in　family　had　made　an　offer　very　close

to　your　own　terms；　and　you　had　passed　your　word　to　give　them　a

positive　answer　in　half　an　hour；　and　indeed　were　just　going　to　take

the　bill　down　when　you　heard　the　knock；　and　then　I　ought　to　take

them；　you　know？'　　Twenty　such　speculations　engaged　my　thoughts。

Then；　after　passing；　still　clinging　to　the　walls；　defaced　rags　of

the　bills　of　last　year's　Circus；　I　came　to　a　back　field　near　a

timber…yard　where　the　Circus　itself　had　been；　and　where　there　was

yet　a　sort　of　monkish　tonsure　on　the　grass；　indicating　the　spot

where　the　young　lady　had　gone　round　upon　her　pet　steed　Firefly　in

her　daring　flight。　　Turning　into　the　town　again；　I　came　among　the

shops；　and　they　were　emphatically　out　of　the　season。　　The　chemist

had　no　boxes　of　ginger…beer　powders；　no　beautifying　sea…side　soaps

and　washes；　no　attractive　scents；　nothing　but　his　great　goggle…eyed

red　bottles；　looking　as　if　the　winds　of　winter　and　the　drift　of　the

salt…sea　had　inflamed　them。　　The　grocers'　hot　pickles；　Harvey's

Sauce；　Doctor　Kitchener's　Zest；　Anchovy　Paste；　Dundee　Marmalade；

and　the　whole　stock　of　luxurious　helps　to　appetite；　were

hybernating　somewhere　underground。　　The　china…shop　had　no　trifles

from　anywhere。　　The　Bazaar　had　given　in　altogether；　and　presented　a

notice　on　the　shutters　that　this　establishment　would　re…open　at

Whitsuntide；　and　that　the　proprietor　in　the　meantime　might　be　heard

of　at　Wild　Lodge；　East　Cliff。　　At　the　Sea…bathing　Establishment；　a

row　of　neat　little　wooden　houses　seven　or　eight　feet　high；　I　SAW

the　proprietor　in　bed　in　the　shower…bath。　　As　to　the　bathing…

machines；　they　were　（how　they　got　there；　is　not　for　me　to　say）　at

the　top　of　a　hill　at　least　a　mile　and　a　half　off。　　The　library；

which　I　had　never　seen　otherwise　than　wide　open；　was　tight　shut；

and　two　peevish　bald　old　gentlemen　seemed　to　be　hermetically　sealed

up　inside；　eternally　reading　the　paper。　　That　wonderful　mystery；

the　music…shop；　carried　it　off　as　usual　（except　that　it　had　more

cabinet　pianos　in　stock）；　as　if　season　or　no　season　were　all　one　to

it。　　It　made　the　same　prodigious　display　of　bright　brazen　wind…

instruments；　horribly　twisted；　worth；　as　I　should　conceive；　some

thousands　of　pounds；　and　which　it　is　utterly　impossible　that

anybody　in　any　season　can　ever　play　or　want　to　play。　　It　had　five

triangles　in　the　window；　six　pairs　of　castanets；　and　three　harps；

likewise　every　polka　with　a　coloured　frontispiece　that　ever　was

published；　from　the　original　one　where　a　smooth　male　and　female

Pole　of　high　rank　are　coming　at　the　observer　with　their　arms　a…

kimbo；　to　the　Ratcatcher's　Daughter。　　Astonishing　establishment；

amazing　enigma！　　Three　other　shops　were　pretty　much　out　of　the

season；　what　they　were　used　to　be　in　it。　　First；　the　shop　where

they　sell　the　sailors'　watches；　which　had　still　the　old　collection

of　enormous　timekeepers；　apparently　designed　to　break　a　fall　from

the　masthead：　with　places　to　wind　them　up；　like　fire…plugs。

Secondly；　the　shop　where　they　sell　the　sailors'　clothing；　which

displayed　the　old　sou'…westers；　and　the　old　oily　suits；　and　the　old

pea…jackets；　and　the　old　one　sea…chest；　with　its　handles　like　a

pair　of　rope　ear…rings。　　Thirdly；　the　unchangeable　shop　for　the

sale　of　literature　that　has　been　left　behind。　　Here；　Dr。　Faustus

was　still　going　down　to　very　red　and　yellow　perdition；　under　the

superintendence　of　three　green　personages　of　a　scaly　humour；　with

excrescential　serpents　growing　out　of　their　blade…bones。　　Here；　the

Golden　Dreamer；　and　the　Norwood　Fortune　Teller；　were　still　on　sale

at　sixpence　each；　with　instructions　for　making　the　dumb　cake；　and

reading　destinies　in　tea…cups；　and　with　a　picture　of　a　young　woman

with　a　high　waist　lying　on　a　sofa　in　an　attitude　so　uncomfortable

as　almost　to　account　for　her　dreaming　at　one　and　the　same　time　of　a

conflagration；　a　shipwreck；　an　earthquake；　a　skeleton；　a　church…

porch；　lightning；　funerals　performed；　and　a　young　man　in　a　bright

blue　coat　and　canary　pantaloons。　　Here；　were　Little　Warblers　and

Fairburn's　Comic　Songsters。　　Here；　too；　were　ballads　on　the　old

ballad　paper　and　in　the　old　confusion　of　types；　with　an　old　man　in

a　cocked　hat；　and　an　arm…chair；　for　the　illustration　to　Will　Watch

the　bold　Smuggler；　and　the　Friar　of　Orders　Grey；　represented　by　a

little　girl　in　a　hoop；　with　a　ship　in　the　distance。　　All　these　as

of　yore；　when　they　were　infinite　delights　to　me！



It　took　me　so　long　fully　to　relish　these　many　enjoyments；　that　I

had　not　more　than　an　hour　before　bedtime　to　devote　to　Madame

Roland。　　We　got　on　admirably　together　on　the　subject　of　her　convent

education；　and　I　rose　next　morning　with　the　full　conviction　that

the　day　for　the　great　chapter　was　at　last　arrived。



It　had　fallen　calm；　however；　in　the　night；　and　as　I　sat　at

breakfast　I　blushed　to　remember　that　I　had　not　yet　been　on　the

Downs。　　I　a　walker；　and　not　yet　on　the　Downs！　　Really；　on　so　quiet

and　bright　a　morning　this　must　be　set　right。　　As　an　essential　part

of　the　Whole　Duty　of　Man；　therefore；　I　left　the　chapter　to　itself　…

for　the　present　…　and　went　on　the　Downs。　　They　were　wonderfully

green　and　beautiful；　and　gave　me　a　good　deal　to　do。　　When　I　had

done　with　the　free　air　and　the　view；　I　had　to　go　down　into　the

valley　and　look　after　the　hops　（which　I　know　nothing　about）；　and　to

be　equally　solicitous　as　to　the　cherry　orchards。　　Then　I　took　it　on

myself　to　cross…examine　a　tramping　family　in　black　（mother　alleged；

I　have　no　doubt　by　herself　in　person；　to　have　died　last　week）；　and

to　accompany　eighteenpence　which　produced　a　great　effect；　with

moral　admonitions　which　produced　none　at　all。　　Finally；　it　was　late

in　the　afternoon　before　I　got　back