site designs all over the pearl, and finally hollowed it out and
turned it into a king's house.

As usual, we came to it across a bridge, not spanning the Loire this
time, but a branch of the river Indre; and it's in the Indre that the
pearly Chateau bathes its pearly feet. Almost I wished that I hadn't
gone inside the pearl. Not that the inside was worthless; there was a
mantel or two, and a great show staircase, with a carved, vaulted roof;
but it was an anti-climax after the outside and after Langeais. When we
came out from "viewing the interior," as the guide-books say, I walked
all round the Chateau again, looking up at the carved chimneys and the
sculptured windows, the charming turrets, and the sloping roof of blue
grey slate; all so light and elegant, seeming to say, "Come and live
here. You will be happy." Oh, they have some lovely things in Europe,
that we can never have in our new country! We've a good excuse for
wanting to come over here. But it's so good to feel that the things are
for us, and for everybody--not just for England, or France, or Italy, as
the case may be.

To-morrow we are going to try and see three chateaux--Usse, and Luynes,
and Chinon. We'll come back to Tours and our dear Hotel de l'Univers;
but the day after--good-bye to both, and how-do-you-do Loches! I'll
leave this open, and put in a postscript. I haven't given you a real,
characteristic postscript for a long time.

***** ***** ***** ***** *****

_Evening_; and Loches.

"Here I am again!" as Jack-in-the-Box says. And we've done all the
things I said we were going to. But I'm too full of Loches and too
excited about Loches to tell you anything of yesterday's three castles,
except to fling them an adjective or two, and pass on. Let me see, what
adjective, since I've confined myself to one, shall I give Usse?
"Splendid," I think. "Interesting" is all I can afford for Luynes,
though it deserves a lot more, if only for its history. And
well--"magnificent" must do for Chinon. Perhaps it has the most
beautiful view of all. But Loches--Loches! I had forgotten its existence
till I dug it up for myself in _Quentin Durward_, and the guide-books,
to which Aunt Mary is so faithful, don't do it any sort of justice. They
don't tell you to go to see it, _whatever_ else you must make up your
mind to miss. Why, Aunt M.'s particular pet devoted almost as much space
to