132 THE SPORTSMAN IN FRANCE. 



We met by appointment in the Hotel 

 des Etrangers, in the Kue Vivienne 

 (which, par parenthese, is one of the most 

 comfortable houses in Paris), where we 

 found the grower of vines himself, '' on 

 hospitable thoughts intent," beating up 

 for recruits to join his party for the 1st of 

 September in Champagne ; and in Paris 

 as well as London, friends are not wanting 

 under such circumstances. 



A very pretty sprinkling of amateurs 

 soon flocked to our hotel, some two or 

 three of whom joined us at the table 

 d'hdte. After the bottle had circulated 

 rather freely a VAnglaise, and the politics 

 of the day were discussed, the favourite 

 topic (shooting) was brought on the tapis. 



Marvellous were the tales told by the 

 several narrators, and great were the feats 

 that each had performed. At length the 

 merits of the owners' guns were dis- 

 cussed, each person leaning with an un- 



