JULY 369 



not one, but six or seven were slowly consumed in the 

 same resigned, sad way. This was to assist digestion, I 

 presume. Calm sleep then supervened to both, and their 

 labours were over. In the seat opposite me was a man 

 in the dress of an ecclesiastic, with a face that might have 

 belonged to Eousseau's famous Savoyard vicar a calm, 

 intellectual face, that would have looked well carved in 

 the mellow, amber-coloured marble of a Florentine tomb. 

 My travelling companions externally, at any rate were 

 strong contrasts ! 



I never can pass through this valley of Chambe'ri, 

 with its beautiful mountains all around, without a 

 strange thrill at the thought that here Eousseau lived and 

 botanised for so many happy years in his youth, or 

 calmly worked in the garden of his early love, Mme. 

 de Warens. Her house is still shown. Some years ago 

 I spent a day in Chambe'ri, but only saw this house from 

 the top of the castle tower, my companions preferring 

 other sights to the romantic pilgrimage I wished to make 

 to the abode where lived those two, who little dreamt they 

 were weaving one of the strangest romances that was ever 

 publicly confessed. 



I saw at that time in the museum a curious example 

 of how in certain stage.s of civilisation the same customs 

 prevail. They have there a large collection of curiosities 

 taken from the remains of Lake villages ; amongst other 

 things, beautiful pins and brooches, like those found in 

 Scotland and Ireland. My attention was attracted to a 

 half moon-shaped piece of wood scooped out and delicately 

 carved and ornamented. I asked the custodian what it 

 was. He pointed to a small photograph placed beside it, 

 which represented a Japanese woman lying on the floor 

 with a piece of similar wood under her little head. 

 Perhaps without this photograph from the Far East the 



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