the most luxuriant vegetation, even in places where the surface left by the cutting and wearing of the water is absolutely perpendicular. The consequence is that the whole interior of the chine, with all its cliffs, and chasms, and deep recesses, and perpendicular walls, and dark branching ravines, are all covered with a beautiful and most luxuriant growth of mosses, ferns, wild flowers, shrubs, and overhanging trees, which make the whole immense ravine one of the most charming, as well as one of the most wonderful, dells in the world.

At the head of the chine, as has already been intimated, is a village, with several pretty hotels, and many charming cottages, all in the midst of beautiful gardens, and many of them entirely enveloped in climbing vines, and blooming all over with flowers. It was one of the hotels in this village that had so strongly attracted the attention of the children at Brighton, and which is shown in the frontispiece.

At the foot of the chine, along the beach under the cliffs, is a row of houses resorted to in the summer by those who wish to be all the near the shore. Here are little shops for the sale of playthings for the children, and for Isle of Wight curiosities, and bathing houses, and other conveniences of this kind.

Florence did not know all that I have here explained about the Shanklin Chine when she decided to go there next; but she knew that it was a very celebrated place, and also that it was there that they were to expect to find the famous thatch-roofed hotel. And as it was moreover directly on the way to other parts of the island, particularly to the Undercliff, the name given to the range of shore along the southern extremity of the island, which she knew was a great place of resort, it seemed pretty plain that Shanklin was the place to go to next.

1

CHAPTER XII.

RIDE TO SHANKLIN.

As soon as the place to go to was decided upon, the question that next arose was in regard to the mode of going.

"Is there a railroad ?" said Florence, inquiring of Grimkie.

"No," said Grimkie, "there is not a railroad on the Isle of Wight. Somebody told me they had a plan of one from Cowes to Newport, but the queen objected to it."

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Objected to it!" exclaimed John, astonished. "Object to a railroad !”

"Yes," said Grimkie. She thought it would disturb the repose and seclusion of her villa at Osborne.".

"Hm !" exclaimed John, in a tone of contempt.

"Is there a steamboat ?" asked Florence.

"No," said Grimkie. "There is no place at Shanklin for any steamboat to land. In fact, there is no landing place for a steamboat any where on the island, except on the north side,

and only three places there, Yarmouth, and Cowes, and Ryde. Sometimes steamers make excursions round the island with parties of pleasure, to let the people see the shores, but they can't land.”

"Then how can we go ?" asked Florence. "We can go in the stage-coach,” replied Grimkie, "or we can take a carriage."

"I vote for going in the coach," said John, "It is a very pretty coach. I saw it starting off yesterday. There is a nice high seat on top for me."

"And where would be the seat for mother ?" asked Florence.

"She might ride on top, too," said John. "There are very nice seats, and ladies often ride up there."

"Not ladies-very often," said Grimkie, "only their maids."

"At any rate I have seen some ladies ride on the top, I know," said John.

Now an English stage-coach, though it is a very pretty thing in a picture, with its neat and tidy look, its prancing horses, and its smart coachman, is not a very agreeable vehicle for the passengers, except for such as like to be shut up in seclusion where they can neither see nor be Sometimes young American ladies, who,

seen.

since they have come to England on purpose to see the country, are determined that they will see it, mount to the top of the coach when they have a short journey to take in a conveyance of this kind in one of those retired and secluded districts where they still linger. But with these exceptions ladies travelling by coach must sit inside, and as there are no windows except a small one over each door, it is only an occasional and a broken glimpse they can obtain of the country they pass through. Florence was very sure that her mother would not like to travel through the Isle of Wight in that way.

So she determined on taking a carriage, and she authorized Grimkie to engage one. Grimkie conferred with Boots on the subject, and finally engaged a large open barouche with a high coachman's box, and room upon it by the side of the coachman for John. There was a rack behind also for the trunks.

These arrangements were made on the Wednesday afternoon, and on Thursday morning about ten o'clock the carriage came to the door.

Mrs. Morelle, when she came to get into it and take her seat, was charmed with the comfort of it, and with the facilities it afforded her for seeing the country all around.

"And I enjoy it all the more," she said, "for