carelessly content to get their fee without
properly completing the service for which they are paid. And I may here
remark that there is far too much "black mail" levied altogether, one
man simply transferring his duty to another, who expects similar fee. To
avoid loss of time and other unpleasantness, travellers will always find
it best to make the first man fully understand that he alone is
responsible for the luggage placed in his care, and that he is expected
to see to its safety, no payment being forthcoming till this is done.

In the present case, our luggage had been sent on to Mentone by mistake,
although properly labelled for Nice, and when we regained possession,
one of the trunks was so knocked about that it cost fifteen francs to
have it repaired, and in reply to my application to the railway
authorities to recoup me, I was simply told, with the usual French shrug
of the shoulders as if to get rid of a disagreeable burthen, that it
could not be entertained.

One of the great secrets of comfortable travel consists in carrying as
little luggage with you as possible, and as there is no difficulty in
procuring the services of a laundress at a few hours' notice, this rule
may be readily complied with. It is always well, however, to be
provided with a good-sized hand-bag, containing all the necessaries you
require for one or two days, _and this you should never lose sight of_.

Nice is a charming town, with its beautiful promenades facing the sea,
its palatial hotels, fine streets, and gardens. The Promenade des
Anglais, and the graceful, waving palm trees planted along the streets,
give it quite a different character to the French towns we had visited.
We were much struck, and again reminded of the Italian nature of the
place, by the elaborate way in which the houses and villas are decorated
on the outside with paintings, giving the flat surface all the effect of
being embellished with beautiful frescoes and works of statuary. Some of
the villas, which are on the hill overlooking the town and sea, and
surrounded by their gardens full of orange and lemon trees, are most
delightful residences. Among other places of interest, we were pointed
out the villa where the young Czarowitch, the elder brother of the
present Emperor of Russia, died, attended in his last moments by his
mother, and his betrothed wife Princess Dagmar, who afterwards married
the brother of her first _fiance_. The house is in no wise remarkable,