t as you have a lady with
you, you would find this boat better. This is a tidal steamer, but the
four o'clock is the mail boat, and it will be pretty rough this
afternoon. There is a breeze coming up."

"O, never mind the breeze," said Mrs. Parkman. "We are used to it,
porter. We've crossed the Atlantic."

"Very well," said Mr. Parkman, "we will wait until four o'clock."

"Then I'll put the luggage in the luggage room," said the porter, "and
take it to the boat at half past three. That's the way to the hotel," he
added, pointing the way.

There are several very nice hotels in Dover, but the one which the
porter referred to is one of the finest and most beautifully situated
hotels in Europe. It is a large and handsome edifice, built in modern
style, and it stands close to the railroad station, on a point of land
overlooking the sea. The coffee room, which, unlike other English coffee
rooms, is used by both ladies and gentlemen, is a very spacious and
splendidly decorated apartment, with large windows on three sides of it,
overlooking the sea and the neighboring coasts. Each sash of these
windows is glazed with one single pane of plate glass, so that whether
they are shut or open there is nothing to intercept the view. The room
is furnished with a great number of tables, each large enough to
accommodate parties of four or six, and all, except two or three in
different parts of the room that are reserved for reading and writing,
are covered with neat white table cloths, and other preparations more or
less advanced for breakfasts or dinners that may have been ordered,
while at almost all times of the day, a greater or less number of them
are occupied by parties of tourists, their bags and baskets lying on the
neighboring chairs.

It was into this room, so occupied, that our travellers were ushered as
they walked from the station into the hotel.

Mrs. Parkman walked forward, and took her seat near a window. The
gentlemen attended her.

"What a magnificent view!" said she.

The view was indeed magnificent. Across the water was to be seen the
coast of France, lying like a low cloud close to the horizon. Ships, and
steamers, and fish boats, and every other sort of craft were seen plying
to and fro over the water,--some going out, others coming in. Through
one of the windows in the end of the room, Mrs. Parkman could see the
castle crowning its bold and lofty promontory, and the perpendicular
cliffs of chalk, with the