of the main road, he did not explain, but he jumped out and
in a minute took command of the situation. He said, "If we had taken a
waggon over the desert, we'd know how to fix up this in a shake." He sent
his chauffeur back to the nearest village for some boards and a shovel, and
then dug out to firm ground and got the boards under, all so neatly and
quickly, and no one thought of disobeying him! And we were soon all packed
into the car again none the worse. Then he said he also found he was
obliged to go back and would show us the way as far as we liked. Uncle John
was so grateful, and we started.

Tonnerre was all as far as we could get to-night, and about six o'clock we
arrived at this hotel I am writing from.

Mr. Horatio Thomas Nelson Renour was a few yards in front of us. "Say, Lord
Wordon," he said to Uncle John, "I guess this is no kind of a place your
ladies have been accustomed to, but it's probably pretty decent in spite of
appearances. I know these sort of little shanties, and they aren't half as
bad as they look."

He took as much pains to shout down Aunt Maria's trumpet as Harry used in
the beginning when he wanted to please me, and when we got upstairs she
said she had no idea Americans were such "superior persons." "One of
Nature's gentlemen, my dear, which are the only sort of true gentlemen you
will find."

Such a hotel, Mamma! And Uncle John and Aunt Maria had to have the only big
bedroom on the first floor, and Mr. Renour and I were given two little ones
communicating on the back part. They thought of course we were of the same
party, and married.

"Madame" could have the inner one, they explained, and "Monsieur" the
outer! Aunt Maria, who thought, I suppose, they said Agnes, not "Monsieur,"
smiled pleasantly and agreed--that would be "tout a fait bien." Of course
if Horatio Thomas Nelson Renour had been a Frenchman, or even heaps of
Englishmen we know, he would have been delighted; instead of which he got
perfectly crimson all over his bronzed face and explained in fearful French
to the landlady he could not sleep except on a top floor. Wasn't it nice of
him, Mamma?

Dinner was at seven o'clock in the table d'hote, and about eight commercial
travellers were already seated when we got down. We had glass racks to put
our forks and knives on, and that wrung out kind of table linen, not
ironed, but all beautifully clean; and wonderfully good food.

Uncle John made one end of our party and Mr. Ren