ver.

"Ah," says he to himself; "I am right; I am coming to the Rhone."

He went on, drawing nearer and nearer. At length he came out upon the
broad and beautiful quay, with large and elegant stone buildings on one
side of it, and a broad but low parapet wall on the other, separating
the quay from the water. There was a sidewalk along this wall, with many
people walking on it; and here and there men were to be seen leaning
upon the wall, and looking over at the boats on the river. The river was
broad, and it flowed very rapidly, as almost all water does which has
just come from Switzerland and the Alps. On looking up and down, Rollo
saw a great number of bridges crossing this stream, with teams and
diligences, and in one place a long troop of soldiers passing over. On
the other side, the bank was lined with massive blocks of stone
buildings. In a word, the whole scene presented a very bright and
animated spectacle to view.

Nearly opposite to the place where Rollo came out upon the river, he
saw, over the parapet wall that extended along on the outer side of the
quay, a very large, square net suspended in the air. It was hung by
means of ropes at the four corners, which met in a point above, whence
a larger rope went up to a pulley which was attached to the end of a
spar that projected from the stern of a boat. The net was slowly
descending into the water when Rollo first caught a view of it; so he
ran across, and looked over the parapet to see.

[Illustration: THE GREAT NET.]

The net descended slowly into the water. It was let down by men in the
boat paying out the line that held it.

"Ah," said Rollo to himself; "that's a curious way to rig a net. I
should like to stay and see them pull it up again, so as to see how many
fish they take; but business first and pleasure afterwards is the rule."

So he left the parapet, and walked along the quay towards the place
where the bureau was situated.

"I'll come back here," said he to himself, "when I have got my place on
the banquette, and see them fish a little while, if I find there is
time."

In a few minutes Rollo came to the place he was seeking. It was in a
little square, called Concert Place, opening towards the river. Rollo
knew the bureau by seeing the diligence standing before the door. It had
been brought up there to be ready for the baggage, though the horses
were not yet harnessed to it.

Rollo went into the office. He found himself in a small room, w