"I remember it perfectly; but other shell-fish produce Byssus besides the Pinna." "Indeed; and are gloves made of it?"

"I believe not; because it is not produced in other shell-fish in sufficient quantities."

"Do not some Mussels produce pearls?" asked Agnes."

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"Those are the River Mussels," said Mrs. Merton. 'Remember that there are several kinds of Mussels : as, for example, the River Mussel, or Unio, which produces what are called British pearls, and which is common in many British rivers, particularly in the Conway in Wales, and in the Tay in Scotland; the Sea Mussel, or Myrtilus, the animal of which is eaten, and which produces the Byssus; and the Horse Mussel, or Modiola. The kind you have found, however, belongs to none of these, as it is a freshwater species generally found in docks; and it must have adhered to some vessel that has been shipwrecked here soon after it left the dock in which it had been repaired."

"Oh! mamma, don't talk of shipwrecks," cried Agnes, shuddering.

They had now reached a little terrace, raised to a considerable height above the beach, where there was a little shop, the proprietor of which sold fruit, and also engravings of various kinds, in the manner which seems fashionable at Shanklin; as the shops there generally contain articles of the most heterogeneous kinds. Here Mrs. Merton enquired the way to the Chine, and they were directed to apply at a little cottage a

good way farther up the beach. They did so; and a most uncivil person came out, who, unlocking a gate, told them to go through there, and then left them to find their way how they could. They went straight on along a narrow path, which was exceedingly slippery and disagreeable from the recent rains, and they soon came to a place where the road divided into two, and they did not know which way to take. As Mrs. Merton was very much fatigued by the want of sleep the previous night, Agnes ran forward along one of the paths, while Mrs. Merton waited her return. She soon came back, saying that the path merely led to a seat; but, as she descended the hill, Mrs. Merton noticed that her shoe had burst open behind, and that she had great difficulty in keeping it on her foot.

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My dear Agnes," said her mother," these shoes were never intended for walking along such roads as these. Why did you not put on your walking

shoes?"

Agnes looked at her feet in dismay; for, alas! the walking shoes had been left at Black Gang Chine. They had been very wet the preceding evening; and, when they were brought up after being cleaned, they

felt so damp that Agnes begged to have them dried, intending to put them on just before she came away; but this she had forgotten to do; and her present shoes, being totally unfit for walking on wet clayey soil, had burst open in the manner described.

"What shall I do, mamma?" said Agnes: " I think I must try to fasten my shoe together with a pin."

Mrs. Merton smiled, and shook her head; but, as no better means presented themselves, the pin was obliged to be used.

They now walked on very uncomfortably: the pin pricked Agnes every step she took; and her shoe was so loose that she had the greatest difficulty to prevent it from falling off. She was, besides, encumbered with her sea-weed, and some engravings they had purchased at the little shop on the beach for aunt Jane, though of these last her mamma soon relieved her. Mrs. Merton, on her part, did not feel much more inclined to enjoy the beauties of the Chine than her poor little daughter, for the path was very narrow, and was not only wet and slippery from the recent rains, but in some places had given way altogether, and been rudely propped up with

the branch of a tree, apparently just cut down for the purpose. Several other paths also branched off from that which appeared the principal one, and thus the constant fear of having to retrace their steps was mingled with their other troubles. What is called a Chine in the Isle of Wight, means a cleft in the rocks, which has been produced by the action of a stream running through them, and thus, wherever there is a Chine, there is always a stream of water running into the sea. At Shanklin Chine the cleft has penetrated to a considerable depth into the rocks; and thus a deep ravine is formed, on one side of which the rock is almost perpendicular, while on the other it shelves gently downward, and is covered with trees and bushes, among which are a few cottages very picturesquely placed. The cascade is somewhat larger than that at Black Gang Chine; but still it possessed very little grandeur, and Mrs. Merton and Agnes were both very glad when they reached it to see a girl approaching with a key in her hand to let them out, as it was a proof that they had nearly reached the end of the Chine. They had still, however, a flight of broken, slippery steps to ascend, after which they found themselves once more on

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