'I do not quite understand the meaning of the birds and black-beetles which are engraved about it,' said Ledbury.

They were done three thousand five hundred years ago,' replied Johnson, so that styles have altered since then; but it is supposed to have been a cheap public method of teaching the Egyptian charitychildren zoology. It's astonishing how like the birds are to those of the present day.'

'But some of them are dressed in short pea-coats, and walking upright,' observed Ledbury.

I believe it was the custom of the birds in ancient Egypt,' replied Jack. Don't you think so, Aimée,-eh ?'

Yes goodmorning everriwell,' answered the grisette, smiling, and proud of her English.

Jack

They now approached the Champs Elysées, a spot presumed to derive its name from being a most earthly-looking place, with a perfect absence of anything like grass. It was almost too early in the day for the usual crowd of visitors, except two or three bonnes with their monkey-jacket children, who were tossing balls about, and pulling their headless wooden horses into everybody's way. amused himself by making hideous faces at the children until they cried; or grasping a handful of their balloon-like trowsers, and running them along the ground upon tiptoe, to the great indignation of their nurses. Jules and Henri amused Aimée by keeping up a perpetual fire of slang with the proprietors of the camera-obscuras, and other perambulatory exhibitions, and addressing sundry speeches to a few grown-up babies, who were gravely circling in the roundabouts of the Jeu de Bague,-a remnant of the old sport of tilting at the ring, or procuring an amusing emetic in a flight of four ships, which went up and down as they revolved. Then they came to a conjuror, whom Jack sadly put out by baulking his tricks, all of which he could do; and finally, stopped a short time to watch a travelling lecturer upon electricity, who was amusing his audience by discharging bottles of gas with a spark, and blowing the corks out into the air. He moreover electrified individuals at four sous each, and soldiers-there are always crowds of soldiers in the Champs Elysées for nothing; because, since their pay amounts to nearly two sous a-day, more or less, they cannot afford to spend much in luxuries, and so they prefer all those which are gratuitous. All Jack's powers of persuasion could not induce Mr. Ledbury to be electrified, he having been once talked over to dip his hands into the two basins of water at the Polytechnic Institution, which threw him into a paroxysm of twitchings, from which he did not recover for some time. Aimée, who looked upon the lecturer as a species of necromancer in every-day clothes, was immensely gratified, although she had seen all his experiments a hundred times before, and nothing but the anticipation of a ride drew her from the spot. Mr. Ledbury contributed ten centimes towards the funds of the exhibition, and in return received a succession of bows from the lecturer, so rapid and animated, that they could only have been produced by attaching his own neck to the prime conductor of the machine.

Laughing and chattering, singing the choruses of interminable songs, and playing off perpetual small practical jokes upon each other, in which Mr. Ledbury was usually the victim, the party approached the magnificent Arc de l'Etoile,-which Jack Johnson in

formed his friend was erected to celebrate the victory gained by the French over the Prussians and English at Waterloo, and before long they turned off to the left from the Neuilly road, and arrived at the Bois de Boulogne. There are always various beasts of burden standing for hire in this locality, and Aimée was all impatience for the ride; but the journey thither had made them somewhat hungry, and Johnson proposed a council to decide where they should feed, Mr. Ledbury wished to patronise a decent-looking tavern in the neighbourhood, and they therefore went towards it.

6

Garçon!' shouted Jules, as they reached the tavern, 'qu' avez-vous à manger?'

'De tout, monsieur,' was of course the reply.

Jack Johnson immediately inquired if oysters were included in the everything.

Oui, monsieur-elles sont de mardi dernier.'

'Oh, par exemple!' cried Aimée, laughing. Des huitres de huit jours! merci, garçon.'

'Mais de prêt-de prêt?' exclaimed Johnson, 'qu'avez-vous de prêt?'

The man drew in a long breath, and then uttered, with a volubility only acquired by hourly practice,

Du lapin, des pigeons, du bœuf, des côtelettes, du filet, des rognons, des lentilles, et du fromage.'

• Et après ?'

Nous avons des pommes, des poires, du raisin, des mendians, et des marrons,' repeated the garçon, all in a breath.

·

Well, then, we don't want anything,' said Johnson.

Jules here explained that they should pay very dear at this inn for what they had, so that he thought it would be better to buy some eggs at a shop he would point out, and have them cooked by a marchand de vin, who would make them into an omelette if they bought their wine there. Mr. Ledbury and Johnson thought the plan excellent, as did Henri and Aimée, who, provided they got somebody to give them something to eat somewhere, had little anxiety respecting the scene of the banquet; and the point being settled, they began to think about their equestrian diversion.

They experienced little difficulty in procuring steeds, but had some trouble in getting Mr. Ledbury, whose courage rather slackened as the moment approached, to mount one. And there was a singularly unsafe look about all the horses that were exhibited for hire, more especially about the fore-legs, which inclined towards the hind ones, as if the animal was practising to stand with all his feet on the top of a post, like an Indian goat. At last, however, they got him to cross a small broken-kneed pony, with the assurance that they would not go fast. Aimée was placed upon the only donkey they could find, which Mr. Ledbury's inherent gallantry alone prevented him from appropriating to himself; and the rest were soon mounted to their satisfaction, except Jack Johnson, who got on a side-saddle, which immediately turned round with him, and shot him on to the ground; and Jules, who would squeeze himself into one of the chair-seats, evidently too small, which compressed him so that he had considerable difficulty in getting out again. But, after a few ludicrous disasters, all was arranged; and Mr. Ledbury, who formed a not inapt resemblance to a clothes-peg on a line, grew quite bold,

and even ventured to beat the pony with a switch, and use imaginary spurs, guiding the animal by a curiously fragile contrivance of string, old straps, tin and bits of worn-out chain, which the owner conceived to be a bridle. Not having amongst them sufficient money to leave as a deposit for the horses, they took a boy with them, who was also to act as Aimée's running footman; and the gamin, by a series of violent pantomimic attitudes and unearthly noises, finally got all the animals into a canter, Mr. Ledbury keeping a firm grasp on the pommel of the apparatus which represented his saddle.

They rode about the avenues of the wood for a short time, indulging in various facetious performances; among which Jack Johnson attempted to stand on the back of his horse, after the manner of Mr. Stickney, and even to ride two at once; both which attempts were concluded by his downfall. And then, after awhile, when their appetite reminded them of their proposed meal, Jules offered to conduct them to the place where the eggs were to be bought, and forthwith led the way to a depôt, which combined the attractions of a chandler's shop, a wine-vaults,' and a bun-house.

I think I should like to ask for the eggs,' said Ledbury. It will be a little practice for me in French.'

'Go at it, at once, then,' said Jack Johnson; we'll wait here. You need not get off, or perhaps you'll have a difficulty in getting on again. Ride up to the door: it looks more imposing.' And, acting upon his advice, Mr. Ledbury approached the épicier's.

Now the shop, like many others, had its floor some two or three steps below the level of the ground outside, and at the side of the door as you entered was a species of trellis-work screen, to keep unlawful appropriators from walking into the articles displayed in the window, without permission. As Ledbury rode up to the door, saying his speech over to himself, which consisted of the question, 'Avvey-voo des uffs' some imp of mischief prompted Jack Johnson to the following trick:-He asked Aimée for a pin; and being supplied with one by the young lady, after that digital investigation of various portions of the dress common with females when a pin is demanded, he inserted it quietly into the haunch of Mr. Ledbury's steed just as he was preparing to speak. The pony, not liking this acupuncturation, sprang forward. The small half-wicket that closed the entrance, with a remarkably persevering bell suspended behind it, gave way, and the fore-feet of the animal stumbling down the steps, Ledbury, pony and all, bundled into the shop. But this was not all. To save himself in his fall, he caught at the lattice-work on his right; it yielded, and with it a small shelf that ran across the window, supporting sundry carafons of brandycherries and preserved peaches, small bottles of liqueurs, and a store of bonbons, and dirty sweetmeats resembling treacle-ice. Amidst this terrible chute, and covered by its ruins, did Mr. Ledbury enter a shop to buy eggs!

A terrible uproar followed. The master of the establishment, who was luxuriating upon a dinner of cold artichokes in some secret parlour, bolted out in the wildest manner possible; and, not perceiving Ledbury in his haste (who was performing some curious postures on the floor, resembling the antics of Mr. W. H. Payne when he has sat down on a hot warming pan in a pantomime,)

tumbled over him, and began to kick blindly and desperately against a sack of haricots blancs, thinking it was the intruder, until he effected its downfall also. Johnson was screaming with laughter at the door; Jules and Henri were equally delighted; Aimée, half amused, half frightened, after a minute's pause, began to laugh as heartily as the rest; and the little boy who ran behind her, scared out of his wits, scampered off as fast as his legs would carry him. Of course the marchand let loose an avalanche of sacrés!' and "'crrée nom de tonnerres!' as soon as he saw how things stood. But Mr. Ledbury, who really took a joke better than any one else in the world-and it must be confessed he attributed his downfall to his bad riding rather than to any malice prepense on the part of the others, made a rapid offer of payment for the damages commit. ted, which the others volunteered to share as far as their treasuries would go. A few francs set all to rights; and in addition they purchased a quantity of eggs and bread, which were entrusted to the care of Aimée.

They then went back to the spot where they had hired the horses, not saying a word about the probable state of the knees of Mr. Ledbury's pony on the morrow; and having found out a marchand de vin whose establishment appeared likely to suit their purpose, they entered for their second déjeûner, and a very merry meal, yet strict ly reasonable they found it; so much so, indeed, that Ledbury and Jack Johnson were surprised to perceive the time go so fast, when the hour approached for them to leave, in order that they might dress and proceed to dine with their acquaintance of the preceding evening, according to promise.

CHAPTER VII.

Of the boarding-house on the Boulevards, and écarté.

The pension, at whose table d'hôte M. Auguste Blaquart, as he was called, had invited Mr. Ledbury and his companion to meet him, was situated at the corner of one of the principal streets leading on to the Boulevard des Italiens, and occupied the entire first and second floors, above the entresol of one of the very fine houses which adorn this quarter of Paris.

Madame Lagrange, the mistress of the establishment, was about five-and-forty; but a still perfect symmetry of figure, and, to use a theatrical term, an admirable making-up, with the assistance of bandoline, rouge, and hair-dye, threw off ten or a dozen years from her real age in the eyes of the casual beholder. She was even now a fine woman-had travelled much and seen more, whilst an easy self-possession, a complete knowledge of the usages of good society, and the power of inspiring her guests with the feeling that they could not make very free with her, proved that she had at some time or other moved in a superior set, and adopted their happiest manners. Evidently French by birth-for every gesture, opinion, and expression showed it-she spoke Italian, German, and English, with tolerable accuracy; and, perfectly competent to associate with the higher classes, she yet had tact enough to remove all uncomfortable feeling from those, palpably her inferiors in the common

attainments of good bringing-up, whom chance frequently brought her into contact with at her own table. Her husband, who never appeared until evening, when the card tables were formed in the salon, was certainly beneath her in every respect. He aspired to the costume and general tournure of the homme comme il faut, and his gaudy toilet and occasional bouncing talk dazzled many of the pensionnaires; but, compared with the really good conversation and demeanour of Madame Lagrange, he reminded one of placing the gayest of Madame Tussaud's creations by the side of one of Canova's statues, although even in this case many lovers of superficial glitter would prefer the former.

Who Blaquart himself was nobody had the least idea. He always took the bottom of the table in the absence of M. Lagrange, and there were many surmises that he had a share in the profits of the house. The English people, of whom there were always several staying here, recommended on' from Boulogne and Calais, thought him a perfect gentleman; but the Parisians detected now and then some stray, careless action, or loose word, which had evidently been picked up in some questionable quartier of the city. And, indeed, one or two of the guests were sometimes astonished to meet him walking with very strange-looking persons, approaching in their dress and manners to those of a chevalier d'industrie,-their clothes cut in the extreme style of seedy fashion, and wearing their hats in that very scampish manner which the class known and spoken of in England as 'gents' adopt when they wish to be considered men about town.

Ledbury and Jack Johnson were tolerably punctual to their ap pointment; and after many various mistakes in the direction, which Mr. Ledbury did not perfectly recollect, having left the thin glazed card, with the microscopic name upon it, which Blaquart gave him, at home, they at length got to the house. But here again they were some little time in finding out precisely where to go, for the porte cochère served as an entrance severally to a printer's, a paperhanger's, a chocolate manufactory, and the bureau of an asphalte company; and the sanctity of each of these establishments was invaded before they pitched upon the inscription at the foot of the staircase, 'PENSION AU PREMIER,' which led to Madame Lagrange's suite of apartments.

They entered the drawing-room, where most of the guests were assembled; and Blaquart, who was ready to receive them, immediately came up in an overwhelmingly polite manner, and introduced them to the mistress of the house. It was rather dark; and as the French people in every station never light a candle an instant before there is the slightest necessity for one, they could not see the company very distinctly; which somewhat comforted Mr. Ledbury, who would have been terribly fluttered at facing a large room full of strangers. He backed into an obscure corner of the room, with Johnson and Blaquart, where they remained until dinner was announced our hero much gratified to find that English was as much spoken in the room as French.

The appearance of the salle à manger, when the door was thrown open which communicated with the drawing-room, quite dazzled Mr. Ledbury by its brilliancy. There was, however, little time to ruminate, for the guests hurried in, each person taking his proper