" said I, as I undressed myself,
"but they think she is my wife--how good--but again--ay, it is very
possible, considering we are in France. Numero vingt-huit, quite far
enough from this part of the house I should suppose from my number,--that
old gen-d'arme was a fine fellow--what strong attachment to Napoleon; and
the story of the pope; I hope I may remember that. Isabella, poor girl
--this adventure must really distress her--hope she is not crying over it
--what a devil of a hard bed--and it is not five feet long too--and,
bless my soul, is this all by way of covering; why I shall be perished
here. Oh! I must certainly put all my clothes over me in addition,
unfortunately there is no hearth-rug--well, there is no help for it now
--so let me try to sleep--numero vingt-huit."

How long I remained in a kind of uneasy, fitful slumber, I cannot tell;
but I awoke shivering with cold--puzzled to tell where I was, and my
brain addled with the broken fragments of half a dozen dreams, all
mingling and mixing themselves with the unpleasant realities of my
situation. What an infernal contrivance for a bed, thought I, as my head
came thump against the top, while my legs projected far beyond the
foot-rail; the miserable portion of clothing over me at the same time
being only sufficient to temper the night air, which in autumn is
occasionally severe and cutting. This will never do. I must ring the
bell and rouse the house, if only to get a fire, if they don't possess
such a thing as blankets. I immediately rose, and groping my way along
the wall endeavoured to discover the bell, but in vain; and for the same
satisfactory reason that Von Troil did not devote one chapter of his
work on "Iceland" to "snakes," because there were none such there. What
was now to be done? About the geography of my present abode I knew,
perhaps, as much as the public at large know about the Coppermine river
and Behring's straits. The world, it was true, was before me, "where
top choose," admirable things for an epic, but decidedly an unfortunate
circumstance for a very cold gentleman in search of a blanket. Thus
thinking, I opened the door of my chamber, and not in any way resolved
how I should proceed, I stepped forth into the long corridor, which was
dark as midnight itself.

Tracing my path along the wall, I soon reached a door which I in vain
attempted to open; in another moment I found another and another, each of
which were locked. Thus