driver his due, and the generous _pour boire_ which gave
always such a twinge to our temperance principles, he demanded more.

"He claims," said the porter, who was assisting our descent, "that he
has been driving with the carriage lamps lighted. There is an extra
charge for that."

"But he left his seat to light them this moment, just before we turned
into the square," we replied, indignantly.

The porter shrugged his shoulders. That is the end of an argument. There
is never anything more to be said. We submitted at once, though our
faith in benevolent humanity went to the winds.

Somewhat dispirited, we climbed the stairs to our room. "One day more,"
we said, "and our troubles will be at an end." But, alas! one day was as
a thousand years!

It was to be an all-day's ride to Paris, from nine o'clock in the
morning until half past nine or ten at night. So, while waiting for
breakfast, we hastened out into the town, in search of a bookstore, and
something to while away the dull hours before us.

A young man, of preternaturally serious countenance, was removing the
shutters as we entered a musty little shop. We turned over the
Tauchnitz's editions of English novels until we had made a choice, the
value of our purchases amounting to four or five francs, and gave him a
napoleon. With profuse apologies he left us to get it changed. Returning
presently, he threw the silver into a drawer, and handed the books to
us, with a "_Merci_."

"Yes," we said; "but--" Arithmetic had never been my strength; still
something was clearly wrong here.

"The change," said Mrs. K. "He has given us no change." Sure enough; but
still he continued to bow and thank us, evidently expecting us to go.

We tried to explain; eliciting only one of the blank stares that usually
followed our attempts at explanation.

"The man must be an idiot," Mrs. K. said, gravely.

"He certainly has an imbecile expression of countenance," I assented. He
stood still, bowing at intervals, while we calmly weighed and balanced
his wits before his eyes. We tried signs; having through much practice
developed a system to which the deaf and dumb alphabet is as nothing. We
attempted to convince him that a part of the money was ours.

He smiled, and assured us, in a similar way, that the books belonged to
us, the money to him.

There was so much justice in this, that we should doubtless have
assented, had not his own wits finally asserted themselves. Blushing
like