big kettle of soup, with
huge hunks of brown bread on their tin plates.

We started off with the shooters. Some walking, some driving, and had
one pretty battue of rabbits; after that two of pheasants, which were
most amusing. There were plenty of birds, and they came rocketing over
our heads in fine style. I found that Comtesse de B. was quite right
about the necessity for short skirts and thick boots. We stood on the
edge of a ploughed field, which we had to cross afterward on our way
home, and I didn't think it was possible to have such cakes of mud as
we had on our boots. We scraped off some with sticks, but our boots
were so heavy with what remained that the walk home was tiring.

Mme. A. was standing at the hall-door when we arrived, and requested
us not to come into the hall, but to go in by the lingerie entrance
and up the back stairs, so I fancy we hadn't got much dirt off. I had
a nice rest until 4.30, when I went down to the salon for tea. We had
all changed our outdoor garments and got into rather smart day dresses
(none of those ladies wore tea-gowns). The men appeared about five;
some of them came into the salon notwithstanding their muddy boots,
and then came the livre de chasse and the recapitulation of the game,
which is always most amusing. Everyman counted more pieces than his
beater had found.

The dinner and evening were pleasant, the guests changing a little.
Two of the original party went off before dinner, two others arrived,
one of them a Cabinet minister (Finances). He was very clever and
defended himself well when his policy was freely criticised. While we
women were alone after dinner, Mme. A. showed me how to make crochet
petticoats. She gave me a crochet-needle and some wool and had
wonderful patience, for it seemed a most arduous undertaking to me,
and all my rows were always crooked; however, I did learn, and have
made hundreds since. All the children in our village pull up their
little frocks and show me their crochet petticoats whenever we meet
them. They are delighted to have them, for those we make are of good
wool (not laine de bienfaisance, which is stiff and coarse), and last
much longer than those one buys.

The second day was quite different. There was no shooting. We were
left to our own devices until twelve o'clock breakfast. W. and I went
for a short stroll in the park. We met M. A., who took us over the
farm, all so well ordered and prosperous. After breakfast we had abou