eight," cried the sluggard. The imp disappeared like a flash,
and a gold mine was lost through an appointment. Of such are the men who
fail.

We came down and found the hotel in the usual state of early-morning
discomfort--doors and windows all open, a general sweeping and
uprooting, sleepy servants, a feeling that you are in every one's way
and every one is in yours. Breakfast was out of the question, but tea
was forthcoming. The omnibus rattled up.

"Take your great-coats," said the landlord, who set others the example
of rising early. "You will find it cold in the mountains of Montserrat,
especially if you remain all night to see the sun rise."

He forgot that we were not chilly Spaniards. Our imp of darkness,
however, who stood by, disappeared in a twinkling and returned with the
coats. The landlord--a very different and less interesting man than our
host of Gerona--wished us a pleasant journey, closed the door, and away
we went under the influence of a glorious morning. The sun shone
brilliantly, everything favoured us.

After some ten miles of rail the wonderful ranges of Montserrat began to
show up faint and indistinct, with their sharp outlines and mighty
peaks. In the wide plains below cultivated fields and flowing
undulations abounded. Sabadell, the midway station, proved a true
Catalonian manufacturing town, but very different from an English town
of the same nature. No smoke, no blackness of darkness, no pallid
sorrowful faces. Under these blue skies and brilliant sunshine the
abundant signs of work and animation almost added a charm to the scene.
To those who delight in labour, life here is a combination of romance
and reality--a state of things wholesome and to be desired.

We looked down upon many a valley well-wooded with small oaks, pines and
olive trees, many a hill-slope covered with vines. Approaching the
mountains of Montserrat, their savage and appalling grandeur became more
evident. The monastery was seen high up, reposing on a gigantic plateau
with its small settlement of dependencies. Villages were scattered over
the plain, through which the river Llobregat took its winding way.

The train drew up at Monistrol. Here we left the main line for the small
railway which winds up into the mountains. Not being a crowded time of
year, the train consisted of two carriages only, with an engine pushing
up behind. The outer carriage was open, and here we took seats, the
better to survey nature.

We