suddenly on a stone pile at the bottom. On the level the road became a shady avenue. But it grew worse as it increased in beauty. We wheeled first to one side, then to the other. We even tried the grass close to the trees. But soon we were down and walking, and pushing the wretched machine through the sand. And now riding was out of the question, it began to rain. When we came into Hangest——
“We’ll take the train,” said J——.
—But we had first to wait for two hours, during which we ate a lunch at the “Sign of the Duck,” and sat at the station watching the passing trains and the signals.—In his demoralisation J——asked at the office for tickets for la treizième classe, and then a man joined us and told us of the fine roads in his country, so that we wished we were there. Finally our train came.—J—— had some trouble with the machine. At the first baggage-car the conductor declared there was not room for it. The second was full and no mistake. He went back to the first, and while the conductor remonstrated, pushed it in with the help of a porter. He then had just time to jump into the nearest carriage, which happened to be the same in which I had already found a seat, and the train started. The carriage was full.——
“C’est complet, Monsieur,” screamed a little man, in a passion.
“Certainly, Monsieur” said J——, as he fastened the door with a click behind him.
“I tell you it’s full,” repeated the little man, in his rage dancing to the window and calling the conductor.
—It was too late. All he could do was to return to his seat and glower at J——, who calmly sat in the window.——
“We must not make the war,” said a good curé next to him, patting him gently on the shoulder.