I watched all this with delight; for it was impossible to see anything more sublime, and I could not but congratulate myself that the abode we had chosen, just above the valley and detached from the town, at the foot of the promenade of the Place Royale, gave us an opportunity of seeing such a storm in perfection.

It was true that we often thus had our rest disturbed at night, by the sweep of the wind along the whole range of the valley between the _coteaux_; but its melancholy sound, bringing news, as it were, from the mountains and the sea, was pleasant music to my ears, and startling and exciting, when it rose to the ungovernable fury with which I became so well acquainted during our winter at this _quiet place for invalids_! If Pau were recommended as a place where storms could be seen in perfection, I should not wonder at persons crowding there, who delight in savage nature.

The gales from the 5th to the 15th continued furiously, night and day; the wind howled from all points, rocking the houses, and strewing the ground with ruins--then came a change to hot quiet days for a week.
In England, and in all parts of France, the season I am describing was equally violent, but this only proves that Pau has no shelter on these occasions.
January ended with fine weather, and occasional fogs, not so dense as in London, certainly, but as thick as in the country in England.

The sun, in the middle of the day, being always dangerously hot.

My letters from England still announced the same weather, _without the danger_.
In February, we had a few days like August, then a heavy fall of snow, which for eight days covered the ground, and was succeeded by burning days; and the month ended with heavy rain and floods.