Carlos got into the carriage; while Rollo, looking upon the paper in
order to be sure that he understood the words right, said, "To the
prefecture of police."

The coachman said, "Yes, yes;" and Rollo got into the coach. The
coachman, without leaving his seat, reached his arm down and fastened
the door and then drove away.

He drove on through various crowded streets, which seemed to lead in
towards the heart of the city, until at last the carriage came to the
river. Rollo and Carlos looked out and saw the bridges, and the parapet
wall which formed the river side of the street, with the book stalls,
and picture stalls, and cake and fruit booths which had been established
along the side of it, and the monstrous bathing houses which lay
floating on the water below, all gayly painted and adorned with flags
and little parterres of flowers; and the washing houses, with their long
rows of windows, down close to the water, all filled with women, who
were washing clothes by alternately plunging them in the water of the
river and then banging them with clubs. These and a great many other
similar objects attracted their attention as they rode along.

If the reader of this book has the opportunity to look at a map of
Paris, he will see that the River Seine, in passing through the town,
forms two channels, which separate from each other so as to leave quite
a large island between them. This island is completely covered with
streets and buildings, some of which are very ancient and venerable.
Here is the great Cathedral Church of Notre Dame; also the vast hospital
called Hotel Dieu, where twelve thousand sick persons are received and
taken care of every year. Here also is the prefecture of police--an
enormous establishment, with courts, quadrangles, ranges, offices, and
officers without number. In this establishment the records are kept and
the business is transacted relating to all the departments of the police
of the city; so that it is of itself quite a little town.

The first indication which Rollo had that he had arrived at the place
was the turning in of the coach under an arch, which opened in the
middle of a very sombre and antique-looking edifice. The carriage, after
passing through the arch, came into a court, where there were many other
carriages standing. Soldiers were seen too, some coming and going and
others standing guard. The carriage passed through this court, and then,
going under another arch between two pond