XIY. 



A village inn at Touques in the year of grace, 1884 At the fair The 

 g-r-r-r-rand menagerie A trade truly requiring a natural calling Two 

 anecdotes of tamers. 



IT was none too soon. Just as our travellers entered 

 the tap-room, the storm burst forth with fury, accom- 

 panied by torrents of rain and hail, which rattled like 

 a fusillade and rebounded from the windows. 



Leon, Rene*, and the doctor took up a position in a 

 corner, while the ostler took charge of the horse and 

 carriage, and placed them under shelter. 



The room into which our friends had just entered 

 was a large square apartment. The walls were covered 

 with a flowered paper, and on them were displayed 

 three framed engravings, one representing some Arabs 

 overthrown by a sort of lion ; another some Indians 

 in process of being devoured by an animal that was 

 supposed to be a tiger. The third was the capture 

 of, probably, Sebastopol. Interspersed between these 

 three artistic efforts were portraits, one halfpenny 

 each, of distinguished persons and celebrated criminals, 



