Saturn at a Discount 



be rid of me, I think he gave me about a franc too much 

 change. However, out of pity for his weariness, and as the 

 paints were quite dear enough as it was, I did not trouble 

 him with restoring it. 



I now wandered about, and travelled a considerable dis- 

 tance, attempting to steer by the stars ; but, though in 

 former days I used to know the quartier between the Seine 

 and the Boulevard pretty well, after about an hour I came 

 unexpectedly on the Place de la Bourse again. 



There was a man with a great telescope planted on the 

 pavement. 



" Approchez-vous, messieurs ! Saturne avec son anneau ! 

 vingt-cinq centimes ! " 



I had a look at the dull old grandfather of the planets 

 trudging his weary round through space, with his broad 

 baldrick slanting across his shoulder. A cold bath at the 

 Bains Chinois took the day's dust ofF me on my way home 

 to the hotel, where I straitly charged the concierge to call 

 me betimes. 



47 



