64 BPtllANNY AND THE CHASE, 



be found in that aversion to cleaning which is part of the 

 French character. However, my friend arrived at tlie 

 hour named, with the old cabriolet, and the old mare named, 

 I suppose ironically, " Frantic," by whose exertions, stimu- 

 lated by many cries and much whipping, we managed 

 nearly to equal the fast walk of an ordinary man. An 

 incident occurred on the road which amused us. My 

 black setter was trotting as usual by the side of the voiture, 

 and I had ceased looking at him for a moment, when he 

 suddenly appeared with a fine fowl in his mouth, joggmg 

 on as if nothing had happened. How, when, or where the 

 capture was performed we knew not; but there was the 

 fowl, and as he appeared anxious to be relieved of it, I got 

 out and took it from him, and a very excellent one it was 

 as we discovered some days after. In due time, i. e. about 

 five hours, we arrived at the farm ; by that time all had 

 subsided into sober realities, the beds had vanished totalis/, 

 good meat and drink had disappeared also; two things 

 were alone evident, first, that my friend had never been 

 there before, though he had previously talked most glibly 

 about it; and, secondly, that everything was as rude as 

 might be expected in a small mountain farm in Britanny. 

 And so it was. A miserable house or cottao;e in a low 

 hole, surrounded by manure, was the much vaunted farm. 

 One room formed the whole house, and in this room were 

 we and all in the house, amonriLing to twelve persons, to 

 work, eat, live, and sleep. But what matters it, so long 

 as you are happy ! We had reached the bottom, and it 

 was hard but sound ; better have a poor house than none ; 

 the good people were all willing to do their best for us, and 



