CHAPTER II 



Friaay, October 17. 



It was a fine sunshiny morning. We got into Havre at 

 a quarter to ten. I immediately went ashore and break- 

 fasted, leaving my portmanto to its fate. 



Returning from breakfast in about half an hour, my 

 portmanto was still on the deck, unmoved and immovable. 

 I told the douaniers that I must have my malle^ for I was 

 going off by the eleven o'clock train. They shrugged their 

 shoulders and said it was impossible. The luggage would 

 not be looked over till two o'clock — that it was not their 

 fault if the boat came too late to catch the train. 



Knowing that the most formidable of French impossi- 

 bilities are always routable by a charge of cavalry, I got a 

 boat, and succeeded — not without a considerable amount of 

 personal exertion and blustering — in getting my portmanto 

 on shore before the departure of the eleven o'clock 

 train — too late, however, to be registered ; and I was hur- 

 ried into my carriage with some misgivings, though the 

 porter said he would put it in. I was aware that in France 

 nothing can be done without the greatest amount of absurd 

 and useless formality, and that they are always determined 

 to protect you, whether you think the risk worth the incon- 

 venience of the remedy or not ; but it seemed too monstrous 

 that they should separate a man from his luggage, merely 

 because the registry had closed. 



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