y of another. Already vexed by the delay,
his suspicions were roused now. He demanded the key of the first, which
we gave up with wicked delight. The by-standers drew near. Indeed, a
crowd was the embarrassing accompaniment to all our unfortunate
experiences. The official turned the key with the air of doing his duty
if he perished in the attempt, when the lid flew open, and a hoop-skirt,
compressed to the final degree, sprang up into his startled face, like a
Jack-in-the-box. The spectators laughed--French though they were--as,
very red in the face, he vainly tried to replace it, entirely forgetting
to search for contraband articles.

No other incident disturbed the quiet of that long day's ride to Paris.
At some queer little station we descended to lunch, and returned to our
places, laden, like the spies of Eschol, with luscious grapes. Our
fellow-travellers dropped out along the way, only, however, to be
replaced by others. We had not succeeded in securing places in the
compartment reserved for ladies alone; but the French gentlemen who were
our companions proved most courteous in their polite indifference to our
movements. An old gentleman among these, elicited our outspoken
admiration for his grand head. We were secure in our native language, we
knew.

"Lovely face!" we exclaimed, unblushingly. "What a head for a sculptor!
Quite like Michel Angelo's Moses, I declare."

Before the day was over, "Michel Angelo's Moses" addressed us in
excellent English.

When the darkness gathered, when the night settled down, something of
its gloom oppressed us. Once safely housed in Paris, we should be at
rest; but there were still difficulties to be overcome. Our friends had
telegraphed to Miss H. that we should arrive by this train; but the
number of her house we did not know, nor did they. We were only sure
that her apartments were over the _Magasin au Printemps_. Still that was
tolerably exact; we would not be uneasy. At ten o'clock at night we
stepped down from the train into a confusion of tongues and elbows which
I cannot describe, and followed the crowd into the baggage-room. I say
_followed_--we were literally lifted from our feet and borne along.
There was no baggage in sight. We waited until an hour seemed to have
passed, and still no trunks appeared.

"Suppose we leave them, and send a porter from the house in the morning
to find them;" and acting upon this, we struggled out of the station
into the great paved squ