At the Hôtel de la Poste a middle-aged _fille-de-chambre_, in a white cap--another Alpine-bearish Burgundian--looked upon us with such disfavour we could scarce persuade her to show us our room.
The dining-room was full of noisy men in blouses and big hats. No place was left for us at the long table, that stretched the entire length of the room; and we sat together in a corner.--The dinner was excellent. But the enemy in white cap was down upon us in a minute, and gave us no peace. She raised a window upon our backs, and as often as we shut it was at our side to open it again. We had the worst of it, for with the salad we seized our wine and napkins and retreated to the opposite corner, giving up our table to four men, who took off their blouses and coats--but not their hats--for their greater comfort, as they sat down and themselves opened the window. What would have been pneumonia, or colds in the heads for us, was health for them.
But there was no rest for us at Rives.--We went to bed early, but until late at night men in heavy boots tramped up and down the narrow carpetless hall outside our door, and in and out the room overhead. They began again at four o’clock in the morning.--As there was no more sleep to be had,----
“We might as well make an early start,” said J----, and we were downstairs by six.
--When we had had our coffee I returned to our room to pack the bag, and J---- went to the stable to get the tricycle. Presently he came up and joined me.--I had not expected him so soon, and was not quite ready.----
“Something has happened,” said I as soon as I looked at him, but still folding flannels.
“Why?” cried I, jumping up and dropping the flannels.
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Towns. | Distance in | Hotels. | Remarks on Roads, &c. | | | Kilometres. | | | |----------------+-------------+--------------+-------------------------------| |_Calais_ | | _Du Sauvage._| | |_Boulogne_ | 33 | _Du Louvre._ | Good surface, very hilly, | | | | | much _pavé_. | |_Pont-de-Brique_| 5 | | Paved all the way. | |_Condette_ | | | Good. | |_Neuchâtel_ | 8 | | “ | |_Etaples_ | 19 | | From _Etaples_ to _Abbeville_ | |_Berck_ | 14 | | we went by _Montreuil_, | |_Waben_ | 6 | | _Nainpont_, _Nouvion_, because| |_Quend_ | 7 | | of sentimental reasons. | |_Rue_ | 7 | | But the route as given is | |_Noyelles_ | 13 | | said to be much better, | | | | | and though 13 kilos. | | | | | longer, has 13 kilos. less | | | | | _pavé_, and is much less | | | | | hilly than the _Route | | | | | Nationale_, the old | | | | | post-road taken by Sterne. | |_Abbeville_ | 13 | _De France._ | Good. | |_Pont Remy_ | 8 | | “ | |_Longpre_ | 9 | | Sandy. | |_Picquigny_ | 13 | | Sandy. | |_Amiens_ | 13 | _L’Univers_ | Good. | | | | (Expensive). | | |_Breteuil_ | 32 | | Good; long up-grades. | |_St. Just_ | About | _Cheval | Good. | | | half-way | Blanc._ | | |_Clermont_ | 34 | | Good; long descent. | |_Angy_ | | | | |_Mouy_ | 13 |_Du Commerce._| Good; long descent. | |_Cires-les- | 7 | | Good. | |Mellis_ | | | | |_Beaumont_ | 14 | _Quatre Fils | “ | | | | Aymon._ | | |_Paris_ | 47 | | The highroad to _Paris_ is | |_Melun_ | | | all paved. Train to _Gare du | |Viâ { _Chailly_ | | | Nord_. Across Paris viâ | | { _Barbizon_ | | | _Boulevard Voltaire_ and | | { _The Forest_ | | | _Place de la République_ to | | | | | the _Gare de Lyon_. Ridable | | | | | nearly all the way. From | | | | | _Paris_ to _Melun_ train; | | | | | _pavé_. | | | From Paris. | | | |_Fontainebleau_ | 59 |_Cadran Bleu._| Perfect. | |_Nemours_ | | | “ | |_Montargis_ | 50 | _Poste._ | Perfect; but at the foot | | | | | of some hills are gutters | | | | | of pavé. | |_Briare_ | 41 | | Good. | |_Cosne_ | 31 | _Grand Cerf._| “ | |________________|_____________|______________|_______________________________|