position of
the English and French workman. The usual outlay for food per week
amounted to twelve francs, or ten shillings, of course with fluctuations;
for I have lived a whole week upon five francs when unemployed, and have
luxuriated upon twenty when in full work. Upon striking a balance among
my various lodgings,--I lodged in company and slept double during the
whole period of my stay in Paris--I find the result to be, that we paid
twelve francs each per month, or two shillings and sixpence per week.
This did not include extras: a German stove hired at five francs a month
for the winter season; wood at four francs the hundred pounds weight;
candles at thirteen sous the pound, and soap at a fraction less. Nor
does it include the half franc to the concierge, an obligatory payment
upon presenting yourself at the street-door after midnight. Summing up
these items, we arrive at this result: for food, ten shillings; rent, two
shillings and sixpence; and miscellaneous necessaries, including twelve
sous for washing, of another two shillings and sixpence; or a total of
fifteen shillings of expenditure against, in my case, of one pound three
shillings and odd pence of income. The cost of pleasure in the French
capital must not be omitted; and I feel bound to state that twenty-seven
visits to the theatres, from the pit of the Italian Opera House at four
francs, to the same place at the Vaudeville for eighteen sous; and
thirteen public balls and concerts, from the grand masked ball to that of
the "Grande Chaumiere," were met by an outlay of sixty-eight francs
thirteen sous, or three pounds seven shillings and tenpence-halfpenny.

After an absence of nearly three years and a half, I turned my steps
towards home. From the time that I had crossed the French frontier, and,
upon delivering my papers, had received a passeport provisoire at
Strassburg, I had never sustained cheque or molestation from the police;
but now that I was about to depart, and made the usual application for my
original passport, it was discovered that, as a workman, I should have
had a "livret" upon my first entering Paris, and a number of certificates
and attestations were required, in order to reinstate me in a legitimate
position in the eyes of the law. Escaped from this dilemma, and
officially recognised as _ouvrier_, it was with some surprise that I
found myself dubbed gentleman at the Bureau des Affaires Etrangeres, and
charged a fee of ten franca