442 THE LIFE OF JAMES D. FORBES. [CHAP. 



was ordered for him, being taken with a view of pro- 

 longing that life, and yet withal being fully ready to 

 yield it up whenever the end came. 



4 His weakness was such that it was necessary to have 

 him carried down-stairs on a stretcher. He gave his 

 own directions to the porters as to how this was to 

 be done ; and from the stretcher he was placed in the 

 omnibus. It was a lovely afternoon and evening ; and 

 when he reached the station he saw, for the first time 

 for two months, his beloved eldest daughter. He recog- 

 nized her with a gentle smile, for they could not speak 

 at that moment, being in separate conveyances. As 

 soon as the saloon carriage was ready, both invalids were 

 placed in it, with an ample supply of such food and 

 medicine as was thought might be required on the way ; 

 and waited for the arrival of the train from Cannes. 

 Several hours elapsed before it came up, some accident 

 having occurred on the line. We were to have continued 

 our journey through the night, but on reaching Marseilles, 

 it was found that the express train for Paris had started 

 without waiting for ours ; and therefore it was impossible 

 to proceed further till the following morning. All that 

 could be done was to have the saloon carriage placed 

 under cover for the night. This was explained to the 

 Principal, who as usual quietly and cheerfully submitted. 

 We started for Paris at eleven o'clock next forenoon, but 

 another day and night had to be passed in the train ; 

 and it was not until nine o'clock on Saturday morning 

 the 1st May, that we reached the station in Paris ; and 

 then came the slow drive to the hotel, through the busy 

 streets, thronged with people even at that early hour. 

 During all these hours the Principal maintained the 

 same calmness and self-possession. Once during the 

 night, when all was quiet, one of the" party noticed how 

 faint he was looking, and went to him and administered 

 some brandy : he said himself afterwards, he had felt 

 sinking, but had been too weak to call out. Three days 

 were passed in Paris, namely, from the Saturday till the 

 following Tuesday morning. He seemed to enjoy the 



