and pronounces the word 'yes' in answer to your questions, so as to sound as much like a negative as possible-these, I say, are bad symptoms; but we augured well from the first aspect of the 'Painters' Rest.' A stout and smiling landlady, a pretty barmaid, an active, civil boots,' neat little maids bustling about in the most coquettish of caps and cap-ribbons, diving down wondrous little passages and returning laden with tempting comestibles, all lent an air of comfort and hospitality to this establishment suggestive of the time when an inn was a really welcome resting-place for travellers, and not a magnificent spunging-house for fleecing 'swells.'

A

A few days soon made us familiar with the genius loci at Dyffryn. few walks confirmed us in the belief that it is indeed the cor cordium of North Wales; and a few letters exchanged with my fair cousins (in which excursions, pic-nics, and sketching-parties were duly proposed and planned with remarkable disregard to the chance of weather) induced them to join us about a week after our arrival. It was during this interval that Mr. Dick had an opportunity of seeing something of the picturesque side of artists' life, with which he declared he was now more charmed than ever; and began to throw out sundry hints that he had mistaken his profession-spoke in the most disrespectful terms of English jurisprudence as a study-and asked me how I supposed that a man with an eye for colour could bear to spend the best part of his days in Mitre Court with no better prospect than a dingy brick wall from his window, and three briefs a year from Messrs. Quibbler and Jarman.

To this argumentum ad misericordiam I confess I replied in cautious terms; for the fact is that, as a rule, the studies of my confrères at Dyffryn stood in about the same relation to a painter's regular occupation as the scenery in Guillaume Tell does to real life in Switzerland. The professional gentlemen in this delightful retreat rise, say between eight and nine on a fine autumnal

morning. An elaborate breakfast awaits them, which, setting apart an hour or so for a pipe and the process of digestion, will carry them on till nearly mid-day. It is then that Mr. Stippler and his associates may be seen emerging in twos and threes from the 'Painters' Rest,' and wending their way in gay companionship to the various points of interest which they choose to illustrate; sometimes to the beauties of some rocky pass and waterfall; sometimes to the shores of a mountain llyn, which mirrors on its surface the glowing colour of the hills beyond; now and then penetrating the depths of a wooded glen to study nature in a 'chequered shade.' In these sequestered spots they work and smoke and chat by turns, leaving black care and tailors' bills behind them in Soho, until dark November warns them home, and the Academy schools re-open. But now and then a cricket-match, a game of quoits, or angling-rod beguiles them into meadow-land or down the river; and I have known some of these youthful Titians spend an afternoon quite happily, sub tegmine jagi, with no other companion than Mr. Punch and the Saturday Reviewers.

At six o'clock P.M., after the labours of the day, we meet together in the coffee-room to discuss the generous feast which our landlady has provided. There is not much variety in that rural feast, it is true. If on Mondays we feed on salmon, lamb, and roast duck, the same hour on Tuesday night sees us before roast duck, and lamb, and salmon. But this fact, it must be confessed, interferes but little with our appetite, which, to quote the words of the immortal bard, 'is good, and on which digestion duly waits.' Ah! 'fames optimum condimentum !' when a man has worked, and is hungry, he does not care for sauce piquante. The wines of Rhineland and Burgundy are rarely called for at our banquet, but I recommend the bitter ale to all connoisseurs of that pleasant tonic. In former days, when the 'Rest' was a small roadside inn, and Dyffryn rarely visited, except by artists, those gentlemen composed a little oligarchy, to inter

fere with whose prerogative was treason. They dined, dressed, and talked when, how, and in what strain they pleased. If an unfortunate British tourist, or wretched bagman, chanced to enter their domain, his appearance was the signal for a general onset. It was like the tailless fox among his brother Reynards. No mercy, no quarter was shown him; and after being coughed down, or treated with silent contempt, he had no choice but to retreat ignominiously to bed. Happily that conservative epoch has passed away; and, with the increased size of the hotel, let us hope the painters' hearts have expanded. Tourists of both sexes now appear at the table d'hôte, and the conversation is no longer limited to shop.' Nay, even in the bar itself-that sanctum sanctorum of our fraternity-Mr. Dewberry was always welcome, and joined in the discussions of Ruskin's theory and Turner's practice as if he had been familiar with their works from his earliest youth. A little art-slang judiciously introduced in smalltalk will often have the effect of conveying an idea of connoisseurship to the uninitiated; and it is astonishing how soon Dick began to talk of 'half tones' and 'middle tints,' 'glazing,' scumbling,' and many other processes of which, I fear, he knew but very little. Indeed Wagsby, the painter (and brother to the facetious captain of that name), who never loses an opportunity for a pun, congratulated him on his success at the bar, and Mr. Dewberry took the joke with his usual good nature. Tremendous controversies, to be sure, were carried on in that little temple of Bacchus, where Stippler took the chair, nem. con., every evening at nine P.M., and where quarts of grog were nightly imbibed. Swigley, the wellknown delineator of river scenery and cascades of this neighbourhood, here counteracted, by a proportionate quantity of whiskey, the injurious effects which he declared would be the result of sitting so long by the waterfall that he was studying, and gravely informed us how long experience had taught him the neces

sity of alcoholic stimulant under such circumstances.

'I'll tell ye what it is, old feller,' remarked Mr. S. to the chairman one evening when we were assembled, 'this 'ere climate is not to be trifled with. What I say is, whenever you feel anything coming on, liquor upthat's my advice. Of course, when you're in a fair and open countryas it might be here-where there's a good tap at hand-why a glass o' beer's the thing to set you going; and if you're sketching down at the river side, and such-like places, you should take a nip of brandy now and then; but for a real splash-dash sort of a hole like the Rhaydr Hên, there's nothin' like a stiff, hot glass of whisky-toddy ev'ry arf hour or so, to keep out the wet. Why, sir, I was penting there the autumn before last, before I knew anything of the climate, and took nothing but bottled ale. I had a bottle brought to me after I got in my outlineanother bottle for the light and shade-another for the sky-another for the middle distance-another for the foreground-quart bottles, mind you-and yet, would you believe it? I was taken so bad down there I could scarcely walk when I got up; so I asked that there medical chap as comes here sometimes what he thought about it, and he says to me, says he, "Swigley," he says, "I know your case," he says; "what you want when you're penting them subjects is diffusible stimulants," he

No, Swigley, my boy," says he, "take your alcohol," he says, "in a more condensed form," he says," and hot," he says, "is my advice; and if you'll just step into the bar," he says, "I'll show you what I mean."

'So we did, and he had something "short," which I paid for; and I kep' his advice ever since; and whenever I go into the Rhaydr Hên, or any of those damp places, I take and fill my pocket-flask with Irish

whiskey, and they boil me some water at the nearest cottage, and bring it down to my tent, about ev'ry 'arf hour, quite pleasant.'

With such harmless prattle as this does Mr. Swigley occasionally entertain us, when Stippler, the P.R.B., and Slopson, the amateur, allow a few minutes' pause in their discussion on the treatment of backgrounds. Fiercely these youths have been contending for their respective schools -the one on the side of patience and fidelity, the other, of vigorous and rapid drawing, in their work. One wants to paint the whole range of Cambrian hills in one great sweep of the brush; the other would linger for weeks before a hedge-row. For my part, I sympathize with both their aims, and devoutly wish that men of opposite creeds in Art, Philosophy, Politics, Religion-what you will-would feel how much they teach and learn by holding opposite opinions. Suppose that Jones and I agreed entirely on the merits of the poet Close or Tennysonsided with North against South, or vice versa, in the American question-and each liked the same end of a fried sole-don't you see how we might be mutually encouraged in hopeless bigotry, to say nothing of spoiling our little dinner? De gustibus non disputandum,' I translate, Be thankful that your neighbour differs from you.' So, when the Goddess of Discord throws her pippin down, let us fall a scrambling for the precious fruit, and be surewhoever gets it-we shall all be better for the struggle.

When these gentlemen are not amiably quarrelling over their palettes, they call on each other for a song, or sit down to a game of chess. If the evening is a fine one (and they come but rarely in North Wales), there is a field hard by the inn, where some of us assemble to play at quoits or cricket. I have even known the game of leap frog introduced, and once found Mr. Dick flying over the back of an undergraduate, as if the sport had been an ordinary recreation in the Temple Gardens and Christchurch meadows. The university men who come down here with an intention of reading

the London dandies who pretend to fish, forget their little dignities in this Arcadia, and mingle freely with the students of paysage.' It is a small, well-organized republic, our little community at Dyffryn, where universal suffrage obtains, and freedom of discussion is allowed. Our wideawakes are caps of liberty-the growth of beards is not interdicted -we smoke the pipe of peace together, and dwell in perfect unity.

6

I think our friends grew a little jealous when the Miss Winsomes arrived, armed with alpen-stocks' and sketch books and butterfly nets, and botanizing spades, and carried us off on their various expeditions. 'You never come down to quoits now, old chap,' grumbles out Mr. Swigley: you and Dooberry are always out with them gals. Thank goodness, I've got no cousins to come bothering about the place,' &c. Nor was it at all easy to escape the scorn of those ladies when we absented ourselves from their teatable to rally round our chairman at the 'Painters' Rest.'

'Can't you get on one evening without your pipe?' Miss Rose exclaims to me, as I take leave of her outside the cottage door (as if we had not been gossiping with them for the last four blessed nights); 'very well, sir; go to your tobacco and your beer, your long-haired geniuses and midnight orgies, and when you weary of those delights come here again and drink your souchong.'

A great many cups of that delicious beverage we imbibed in the society of these ladies-a number of pleasant walks we had togetherMr. Dewberry pairing off with Miss Laura, and affecting the deepest interest in her botanical pursuits; fording streams and climbing into all sorts of perilous places to gather heath and mosses for her basket. It was astonishing to see the assiduity with which this gentleman began to cultivate acquaintance with British ferns-described caudex and rhizome, fronds and venation with great gravity, and once sent me into fits of laughter by announcing that he had found a Polypodium Phegopteris, and was going to carry it home to my cousin.

Not being of a scientific turn herself, Miss Rose was pleased to select me as her companion in our pedestrian excursions; and if my revered uncle, whose gout seemed rather troublesome, did not always accompany us, it was a loss which we learnt to bear with resignation.

Sometimes we hired a trap, and drove to the various points of interest in the neighbourhood; and once Mr. Dewberry undertook to organize a boating party and picnic at Llyn Geirionydd, whereby he had an excellent opportunity, first of displaying his skill as an oarsman before the ladies, and secondly, of indulging his taste for lobster salad to no small extent.

A picturesque group I have no doubt we formed, lying about on the pleasant mossy shore, with the boats moored in the distance, and Dick in his shirt-sleeves busy with the wine bottles.

We have all read that story in the "Arabian Nights' about the stupendous Jinn that emerged from a flask and grew like a mountain before the astonished fisherman who had unconsciously liberated him from his prison. I think it was Madame

Clicquot herself, in the form of a Muse, who appeared before us as the champagne corks flew off on this occasion. Under the influence of that gentle stimulant, the ladies gracefully complied with our request that they would sing, and my fair cousins, whose voices sound very well together, kindly favoured us with several duets of a romantic nature and melodious strain.

All this was pleasant enough to be sure, and suited Mr. Richard admirably, but as far as sketching was concerned, we might as well have left our blocks, canvases, and colour boxes in Soho, for any work we did at Dyffryn. Day after day some new scheme was proposed-some fresh expedition planned, in which we were expected to take a part, and if the Academy Exhibition suffers next season in consequence, I know whose fault it will be.

Perhaps our greatest achievement was the ascent of Snowdon, which, as it is usually looked upon as a formidable undertaking, I shall describe, with your permission, in another letter.

JACK EASEL.

IT

It was, however, evident to the most careless observer, that the attraction consisted not so much in the exquisite harmony which she had at her fingers' ends, as in the beauty of the lovely face, from which both mind and music breathed,' and which levied the tax of admiration from all beholders. There is no rule so despotic as that of beauty, which counts the number of its subjects in the number of human eyes by which chance or intention surround its throne.

The fortunate possessor of so many of Nature's best gifts, was well protected against any annoying manifestation of intrusive admiration, by the presence of a dragon of prudery placed within call,' in the person of an elderly duenna, who, seated in front of the populace, on a chair, on which a ticket with the mysterious words, ' No. 2,' had been accidentally hung, appeared to defy the public, by means of this mystic symbol, to approach the goddess of the hour; and to remind it in warning tones that if Sybil No. 1, attracted too much individual attention or admiration, that the eye of No. 2 may be expected to take speedy and disapproving cognizance of the fact.

An old and a young man were also in attendance; the elderly man being of the thoroughly English type, the younger one evidently a foreigner, ugly to excess, notwithstanding the redeeming splendour of a pair of essentially southern eyes. From these lugubrious orbs he threw, on the occasion in question, glances of jealous inquiry among the assembled crowd; while the elder man, evidently fully convinced that the native dignity of his beautiful child was her best protection, and to

whom the noble appeal of trust me' would not have been made in vain, stood calmly surveying the admiring audience, occasionally interchanging observations with his excitable companion, who, when Sybil executed some of her most delectable passages, looked, as the Persians say, as if his soul had swooned away, and floated to heaven on the breath of those subtle sounds.

There were, however, other listeners, of less ethereal stamp, and one colossal specimen of the sight-seeing British agriculturist, exclaimed in a loud voice, and evidently with intense appreciation of the exquisite humour of his remark

'I wish that good lady's fingers would get tired.'

Perhaps some of the readers of 'London Society' may, like ourselves, have been eye and ear witnesses of that fearful corporeal development, and of those harsh, trumpet-like tones; if so they must have rejoiced with us in the discomfiture of the mammoth Philistine, who, instead of being encouraged with the applause which he evidently expected, immediately became the cynosure (as the newspapers have it) of such glances of unfeigned disgust, that, if human eyes ever possessed the basilisk power to look a 'fellow creature down,' which a poetess has ascribed to them, that British agriculturist would have been laid low in the dust, under the raking fire which opened upon him from all quarters.

The young artiste herself heard the delicately worded remark; and the smile which, in consequence, rippled on her lips, showed that she was not insensible to the perception of the ridiculous, although none better than she could soar to the heights of the sublime.

It behoves us now to put the reader in possession of the history of this enchantress and her attendant satellites the dignified elder, the excitable Signor, and the mysterious No. 2,' who sits so grimly, with the suggestive symbol on her