166 FIRST JOURNEY IN EUROPE. [1839, 



my offer, and then labored hard to make me take 

 them. I advanced one franc, but utterly refused to 

 give a sou more. " Vous n'etes pas raisonnable," says 

 madame. " Je suis trds raisonnable," I replied, "mais 

 votre prix n'est pas raisonnable." So I left the shop, 

 madame very coolly replacing the books on the shelf, 

 with one eye turned toward me to see if I would re- 

 lent. I had got some distance down the street when 

 the boy came running after me, to say that I might 

 have the books, " mais ils sont tres bon marche." So 

 much for the way you are obliged to make bargains 

 here. Went to the Garden, returned to dine here, 

 paid a little visit to Mr. Webb, and must write the 

 remainder of the evening. 



Thursday evening, April 11. My approaching de- 

 parture makes it a very busy time for me. Let me 

 recollect what I did yesterday. I went first to Baron 

 Delessert's; studied in his magnificent library until 

 about one o'clock ; then visited my banker, who is near, 

 drew some money ; then to a bookseller to arrange some 

 matters about our " Flora " (which I failed to do) ; 

 went to the Bibliotheque du Roi, where they have 

 miles of books and acres of manuscripts, but as it was 

 not a public day, I did not see half that I wished. I 

 have made arrangements, however, for a future day. 

 I went next to the post office, and took a place in the 

 malle-post (which is very much quicker than the dili- 

 gence) for Lyons, to go on Monday ; so that the 

 time of my departure is pretty well fixed. I next 

 went to learn the time of the departure of the car- 

 riages for Sevres and Versailles, which places I intend 

 to visit to-morrow. Then I -met Chevalier, the opti- 

 cian, by appointment, to consult about microscopes 

 for an hour or two. . . . Called on M. Gay, with 



