_August 15th._--Before we set out for Mrs. Howard's[45] at Arundel we
went to look at the Pavilion. I did not much admire it; it looks like
some Chinese thing. We asked a man if we could go in front of it, but
he answered very rudely that we could not. It was delightful weather
when we set off. It so happened that both when we left and when we
returned to England it was fine weather, and very cold while we were
in France. I did not think the country about Brighton so very ugly as
I had heard it was. We got on the first stage very quickly. We were
particularly struck with the neatness of the cottages; most of them
were covered with roses or vines, and the grapes were much more forward
than they were in France. Everybody looked so genteel and nice, and the
children so pretty. There is a steep hill going into Arundel, and one
has a very fine view of the castle. Before Mrs. Howard's house there
is a small terrace full of flowers; there were geraniums, and large
myrtles growing out of doors, though in France they are obliged to take
the laurels into the house in winter.