the hours I had
lately spent there so happily.... To shake myself I took up "Adam
Blair;" and, good gracious! what a shaking it did give me! What a
horrible book! And how could D---- have recommended me to read it?
It is a very fine and powerful piece of work, no doubt; but I
turned from it with infinite relief to "Quentin Durward." Walter
Scott is quite exciting enough for wholesome pleasure; there is no
poison in anything that he has ever written: for how many hours of
harmless happiness the world may bless him!

At Totnes we got out of the coach to shake ourselves, for we were
absolute dust-heaps, and then resumed our powdery way, and reached
Plymouth at about four o'clock. As we walked up toward our
lodgings, we were met by Mr. Brunton, with the pleasing
intelligence that those we had bespoken had been let, by some
mistake, to another family. Dusty, dreary, and disconsolate, I sat
down on the stairs which were to have been ours, while Dall
upbraided the hostess of the house, and my father did what was more
to the purpose--posted off to find other apartments for us; no easy
matter, for the town is crammed to overflowing. In the mean time a
little blue-eyed fairy, of about two years old, came and made
friends with me, and I presently had her fast asleep in my lap.
After carrying my prize into an empty room, and sitting by it for
nearly half an hour while it slept the sleep of the blessed, I was
called away from this very new interest, for my father had
succeeded in finding house-room for us, and I had yet all my
preparations to make for the evening.

The theater is a beautiful building for its purpose, of a perfectly
discreet size, neither too large nor too small, of a very elegant
shape, and capitally constructed for the voice. The house was very
_full_; the play, "Romeo and Juliet." I played abominably ill, and
did not like my audience, who must have been very good-natured if
they liked me.

_Tuesday, August 2d._--Rose at seven, and went off down to the sea,
and that was delightful. In the evening the play was "Venice
Preserved." I acted very well, notwithstanding that I had to prompt
my Jaffier through every scene, not only as to words, but position
on the stage, and "business," as it is called. How unprincipled and
ungentlemanlik