So he gave me a little ticket, with which I had to step up to a pigeon-hole and pay about fourpence. Then my box was re-locked and corded, and we went to the little omnibus and started. Joggle joggle! joggle! went that little bus. The coachman went as if he were driving a hearse, and we were dragged over such bumpy stone streets. The houses are very tall and very clean the whole city looks clean and white. The shop girls and working girls go about without hats or bonnets, and with their hair most beautifully arranged. The poor women I have written all my adventures up to our arrival at the railway station wear lovely caps, white and starched. here to May. When I woke up it was So we slowly joggled along through the in the grey of the morning, just out-great Palace of the Louvre, which looks side Paris. The country appears to as white and clean as if it had been me to have been flattened out with a built last week, across the Seine and rolling-pin, and then numbers of trees down our street. Our hotel is very trimmed with scissors have been stuck nice and clean and lofty. We have in rows all about. Here and there is two little rooms at the top. Mine has a farmhouse, and I saw one plough a fireplace in it; Reidie's hasn't. You drawn by one horse. Isn't this a soul- could swing two cats in my room. inspiring prospect? We passed crowds There is a French window opening on of blue blouses going to their work. to the balcony, and a view all over the The workmen here all wear them, and roofs of the houses opposite, and the they look so nice and clean. Every-two towers of a great old church, St. body seems to be in dark blue, por-Sulpice, near. We were exhausted ters, soldiers, workmen, workwomen, and very tired. It was about 6.30 A.M., and so on. and we ordered some coffee; there was a bright wood fire blazing on the open hearth. I now have the awful fact to relate that when we wanted a chamber 66 A porter found us a small omnibus, into which he put our traps. Then we went to the octroi for our luggage. This was a great circular counter, in-maid to bring up our coffee there came side which stood the custom-house offi- a man! This man does everything cers. The luggage was all piled on it. for us; but as we wish to lay a sacriNothing to declare, madame ?" fice on the altar of propriety, and to said a blue-and-red demon to me. soften the shock as much as possible, we call him Jemima. Jemima is very agreeable; he smiles whenever he addresses us; he does anything he can for us. If he continues in this virtuous frame for a week we shall bestow a franc upon him. 66 Nothing, monsieur," said I, with a melting smile. The porter unstrapped my box, and this animated outrage dived his fingers right down into it. "No cigars, no tobacco ?" "Oh, no, monsieur!" said I, virtuously shocked at such an idea. However, he trundled my things about, and at last espied a tin of tongue which my mother had bestowed on me. "Ha!" in a voice of thunder; "what is this?" "Meat, monsieur. Ox tongue.” "You must pay duty." LIVING AGE. VOL. V. 232 Well, Jemima brought us the coffee, and it was very good; and after we had had it we went to bed, and slept like tops. "I say," said Reidie, coming in in a great state of excitement, "there's been an art student here, and he's left some studies. I've been looking at them; they're not much, though." So after we had put on our things to go | him, as he was not in Paris last ThursThey were nude day. Alas, Reidie and I have to call on him next Thursday instead, and I have to deliver a French speech to him. He came about ten o'clock; we had been at work since eight. He is a greasy, curly, dirty-looking man, with a large dress-improver behind like Mr. Lane, and a large waistcoat in front like you. And such little tiny legs and neat boots! Well, he paraded round our easels and corrected our work. He said in an encouraging way to me, "It is not bad;" only as he speaks French I have to listen with all my ears. After M. Carolus had finished correcting us the model rested, and he took a wicker armchair and sat therein and lit a cigarette, and all the students stood round and worshipped him, except Reidie and I and a few English, who remained stolidly in the back ground. He asked who had left cards for him, and Reidie said she was the man; so we've to go and call. Then he pitched into one of the students who had got the head too large, and delivered a majestic lecture, at which Reidie and I snorted under our breath, because we've heard our president deliver a lecture just the other way about. Carolus says you must make a head smaller than life, and Sir Frederick Leighton says make it quite as large, or larger. However, that didn't matter to us, as it wasn't a question of You never saw such baggy trou- painting. At last the model sat again, never mind !- as the soldiers wear. and monsieur got up and went round Reidie says there are only three sizes again, with a word or two to each. made, and they have to wear the size At last he got to the door, and said that fits them most nearly. The uni- solemnly: "I go. Good-day, mesdeforms look shabby, and some are hide-moiselles," and So departed. He ous. Some have helmets with tails all never smiled but once, and that was a down their backs. It is my delight to blighted, watery kind of smile, sugwalk along the streets and look at the gestive of hidden remorse or indipriests, see them turn their eyes down gestion. or look away. Priests mayn't look at women, they do look so goody and unconscious, as if you were a door-mat or a post. They are all very fat and sleek. The young man who lives in the next room has been playing divinely on the fiddle this evening. He began with "God Save the Queen," and then made frantic attempts to perform "Pop goes the Weasel." We imagine it is out of compliment to us. We thought we ought to applaud, but we restrained our feelings. They daren't attempt to pronounce my name here. They make frantic shots at Reidie's · "Mademoiselle Araidë!" they say. April 13th, 1886. The great Monsieur A. B. C. came to the atelier to-day to correct our drawings. It was my first sight of Then Reidie and I went home to lunch, and we cooked an omelet and some bread fritters on our little spirit lamp, and had tea and marmalade, and felt, as the American lady said, "pretty crowded" when we'd done. Then she went to the Hôtel Cluny to sketch, and I went to the gallery at the Palais de Luxembourg, where I am she was so kind, and invited me and Reidie to go and call on her any evening. She has a son—she calls him a boy; but he is quite big-who is working next to me. He looks like a nice sort of boy, and is doing a very good thing. He is a student at the Académie des Beaux Arts-which answers to our R. A. copying a picture. While I was there | early king of France, who did a good an American lady came up a friend deal in the crusading line about the of our friend Miss Hamilton and twelfth century. It is full of most gorgeous stained-glass windows, and every bit of the pillars and wall is illuminated with gorgeous blues and reds and greens, with gold fleur-de-lis and crosses all over them. It is like a jewel. There is a square hole in the wall, which goes into a sort of niche, where a bad old rascal of a kingLouis XI.-used to sit and hear mass We have had three other students because he was so afraid of being to call on us nay, four-and we assassinated by his nobles. We have have invited a fifth to lunch with been in the Palais de Justice, too, and us in our rooms next Tuesday. We seen French lawyers. They are not are going to cook her an omelet. It's like English ones. They wear caps no end of fun cooking an omelet over something like this. We have been a spirit lamp. You spread a news- in Notre Dame, and seen the bone out paper on the floor to catch the grease splashes, and you put a lot of butter in the pan, and three eggs beaten up, and then you poke frantically at it with a knife, and dovetail butter under it if you think it's going to burn. And it's good, I can tell you. I'll cook you one when I get home on my little lamp. of the spine of the Archbishop of Paris, which was struck by a bullet when he was shot during the Commune. Every third man or boy seems to wear either a uniform or livery here. Now I am going to tell you how we went to call on Carolus Duran. It was Thursday his "at home" is from one to three. So after the class we went home and put on our best gowns. It was cold enough for me to wear my best jacket, which afforded me much consolation. Reidie began to be afflicted with a shaking of the knees, but I rose to the occasion. "Should I, who never quailed at the fearsome Alma Tadema, shrink from a Frenchman? Never!" So I said, We have very interesting adventures in the dining line. In a Duval restaurant-there is a Duval company, with a lot of establishments all over Paris you can order one plate of anything, with two clean plates, and divide it. So we can get two or three courses of most elegant French dishes for about 1s. 3d. each. Vol au vent au financier, a very thrilling kind of tart stuffed with mushrooms and olives; galantine" Come along, let's hurry; then we de veau with truffles; Chateaubriand a celestial kind of steak. This is very tender and juicy. It is cooked between two other pieces of meat, so that it gets the juices out of each of them. shan't think about it." So we hurried. We went through the Luxembourg Gardens, and up a little street into the Rue Notre Dame des Champs, in a little passage out of which monsieur has his studio. I waxed very valiant I have seen lots of beautiful pic- as we went along. So I said: "I'll do tures and churches, and the Arc de the talking this time, Reidie." We Triomphe, and the Bois de Boulogne, had been told that, having an introand the fortifications of Paris; but as duction from Tadema, we ought to get I don't like guide-books myself, I our fees considerably reduced - but judge you won't. But there is one we should have to ask for the reducplace, La Sainte Chapelle, which tion ourselves. This we hated the is the most exquisite and lovely and thought of; but after several days of almost divine place I ever saw in my severe reflection and deep study of life. It was built by St. Louis, an Nugent's French-English Dictionary, we composed a pleasing speech which at the atelier. We thanked him and I was to administer. retired. April 25th, 1886. It is Easter Sunday morning, and I Well, we got there, and saw a whole rush of people going in. Fortunately they were English too; and desper- am sitting in bed thinking what you ately shy, like us. So we went through can be doing just now. My partner a great door into a large gloomy hall being, as I before stated, a weak vescalculated to strike terror into the bold- sel, takes a good long sleep on Sunday est soul. There was a gruesome dark-mornings, so we can't have breakfast until 9.30, which will just leave me time to get to church and hear the dear old English service -in foreign parts it is so homelike; and as I can't sleep after seven o'clock, and it's of no use getting up at present, I am making use of the time by writing to you. It is beautiful weather here; I hope you are having it. I go and look to see how the grass is growing every now and then, and I hope yours is coming on rapidly. ness about it suggestive of dungeons. We got to some glass doors on the first floor, which were opened for us, with a clash, by a melancholy and obsequious young man, and we followed the English party into a majestic apartment like those you read of in Disraeli's novels. Thick gorgeous rugs and hangings all about, curious carvings, mirrors, curiosities and objects of art, quaint and lovely pots, feathers, and so on, and a lot of big easels on which are pictures. But before all On Good Friday we went to hear these stood monsieur, clad in a gor- some beautiful music at the church of geous velvet coat, with his hair ambro- Saint Eustache, where is the finest sially curled, and a most entrancing organ in Paris. It was the "Stabat smile upon his face. He is a bad imi- Mater" of Rossini. It certainly was tation of our Sir Frederick Leighton exquisite; only those horrid Parisians (oh, I think I told you that before- will have their churches so tawdry inbut I don't think I told you that he side, and will not show proper reveris credited with having once said to a ence in their behavior. There was a student," Am I not handsome ?") We sermon in the middle; and while that went up and shook hands and made was going on, something happened on our most elegant bows. You should the other side of the church-I suphave seen mine. So then we went and pose some one fainted, perhaps and looked at the pictures and portraits. all the congregation in the nave — Of course we had to study them atten- nearly all-jumped up and stared in tively, as being our master's work. that direction. After a bit they sat Meanwhile one of the Englishmen down again. In the afternoon we went up and talked to monsieur. Then went to the famous old cemetery of he left him. Reidie nudged me the awful moment had come for the speech. We advanced. I began, "Vous avez reçu la carte de Monsieur Tadema, monsieur ? "Parfaitement, mademoiselle," said A. B. C., with another gracious smile. "On dit que vous tenez les étudiants qui n'ont pas beaucoup d'argent pour quatre-vingt francs le premier er er"-here the rest of the speech evaporated somehow, and I was left lamenting. But monsieur excused me, and kindly said that he would certainly make the reduction, and we must arrange it with the head student Père La Chaise. I was most anxious to find the tomb of Abelard and Heloise, and we didn't want to pay a guide; so I let the weak vessel rest while I ranged about; and at last, just as we had given up all hope, I discovered it. Their figures are carved lying side by side, and a Gothic canopy has been built over them. There were a few wreaths on the railing of the tomb - put there by lawyers, I suppose. Père La Chaise is a beautiful place -avenues of trees all about, and in parts it is rocky and steep. The French build tombs for their families with vaults underneath. These tombs are like tiny chapels, just big enough | awe-inspiring drawing-room of that to hold a little altar, on which there is mansion. We are going to have a generally a cross and two candles, and negro for a model to-morrow. Won't a prie-dieu chair in front. There is a that be interesting? I should like to grated door through which you can know when Dora starts her Bible-class, look and see the names of those buried and how it gets on. I wonder whether underneath carved on the little altar, she is going to have men or girls. I'd or above it. Sometimes a little stained sooner have men, because they are glass window is let in above the altar. easier to manage. Sunday Evening. May 3rd, 1886. I hear, sir, that you have joined the Primrose League and are a knight. Oh, yes! Please take me to a meeting of your habitation when I come home, I should much like to be allowed to sit at the feet of the great lights of that association and hear their wisdom. We have had such a warm day! The chestnut-trees in the Champs Elysées are out in full leaf and blossom. It looks like the beginning of June. If it were, shouldn't I be chuckling at the thought of getting back to old England soon ! But don't you think I am not I am informed that a lady — name comfortable here. I am, very; only I unknown - has presented you with a shall like so much to see you all again, charm to wear round your neck. Is it and put on haughty airs and pretend her portrait set in gems, or a lock of not to understand my own language, her hair? And do you think it is nice and keep bursting into French. There of you, not only to go on like this, but were such crowds at the English to cause news of your doings to be sent Church; a number stayed to the sac-across the sea to a helpless orphan in a rament. The church was beautifully foreign land? I suppose you wear it decorated with roses and camellias, next your heart. Of course quite so. and so on -ever so many of them. We had a very nice sermon. Reidie sinful monkey ! · went off to Notre Dame, where the Cardinal Archbishop of Paris was to give a benediction from the pope. We met after each of our services at the Louvre. She said she had a very good view of him, but I didn't want to waste my Sunday morning staring at a cardinal processioning around with his train held up by acolytes. Reidie said it took two priests in white and gold to take his hat off and put it on. We are going to Saint Germains to-morrow, where King James II. of England lived after he was turned off the English throne. We are obliged to go out on Monday afternoons, because all the galleries are shut. So we take our lunches with us, and our paint-boxes, and go sketching. We went to call to-day at a very majestic pension in a majestic street out of the Champs Elysées. Oh, most elegant! Reidie and I came to the conclusion that it is much jollier living here as we do than paying ten francs a day for the privilege of sitting in the Reidie and I have been to the Salon to-day. It is the great exhibition of modern pictures which is held every year. The minds of French artists seem to run very much on blood and corpses, and ladies with nothing on. At every step there was a gentleman in a state of undress, with other gentlemen prodding swords into him, or dancing on his prostrate form; next a pleasing collection of corpses, gracefully sprinkled with gore; next a large picture of a tithe of sugar, a brown pot, some onions, and a radish; next Adam and Eve in the costume of the period. After which crowds of ladies, attired simply but gracefully in a necklace each, or one bracelet. But there are also some very strong pictures, and it is as good as a month's work in an atelier to spend an afternoon there. We know a very nice student from Philadelphia, U.S. We are going to see her. One of the girls at the atelier comes from Spanish America. There are several Swiss, and I believe Swedes and Germans. The Germans |