going to see the Garden of Plants; and you may go with me, if
you like."

"Well," said Rollo, "I should like to go very much."

"And may I go, too?" said Jennie.

"Yes," said Mr. George, "if your mother is willing."

"Well," said Jennie, joyfully, "I'll go and ask her. Only I wish it was
a garden of flowers instead of a garden of plants."

So Jennie went to ask her mother if she might go with her uncle George.
She soon returned with her shawl and bonnet on, and then, Mr. George
leading the way, they all went together down stairs, and got into a
carriage which was waiting for them at the door. The carriage was an
open one, with the top turned back, so that they all had a fine
opportunity to see the streets and the persons passing as they rode
along.

Mr. George directed the coachman to drive first to his hotel; and the
carriage, leaving the Place Vendome on the northern side, entered into a
perfect maze of narrow streets, through which it advanced toward the
heart of the city.

After a time, they came to a long, straight street, which led across the
city, through the centre of it, from the river to the Boulevards; and
when they were about in the middle of this street, the attention of the
children was attracted by a very long and gloomy-looking building, which
formed one side of the street for a considerable distance before them.
It had no windows toward the street, but only a range of square recesses
in the walls, of the form of windows, but without any glass. Jennie
asked Mr. George if it was the prison.

"Not exactly," said Mr. George; "and yet there is one room in it where
there are more than a hundred men, and they are not permitted to speak a
loud word."

"Let's go and see them," said Rollo.

"Very well," said Mr. George; "we will."

So saying, he called upon the coachman to stop opposite to a great
archway which opened through the building near the middle of it. Mr.
George and the children descended from the carriage and went in under
the archway. Looking through, they saw a large court yard, with grass,
and trees, and a fountain. They did not, however, go on into this court
yard, but turned to the right to a very broad flight of steps which
seemed to lead into the building. There was a man in uniform, with a
cocked hat upon his head, who stood in the passage way to guard the
entrance. He made no objection, however, to the party's going in; and so
they all went on up the stairway.

After passing th