338 Ten Years of my Life. 



Miss Runkel and I tried to follow the example thus given, 

 and we thought we should siicceed, when a surprised ' Oh !' of 

 Miss Runkel showed that she was still awake. I need not to 

 ask the cause of her ejaculation, for I felt it at the same mo- 

 ment, and Jimmy's impatient movements, which shook the 

 four-poster, revealed to us undoubtedly the alarming truth that 

 we were in the camp of a blood-thirsty, hostile army. Whether 

 the French fleas were conscious that we were Prussians I do 

 not know, but the most ferocious franctireurs could not have 

 treated us more cruelly. 



Well, even a night like that has an end, and thinking how 

 the poor wounded had to suffer for their country, we meekly 

 submitted to our fate ; though we were glad when morning 

 dawned. It was, however, a very bad morning, the rain pour- 

 ing down in sheets. ' 



We passed the night of the loth in Varennes, and the fol- 

 lowing in Vienne le Chateau, where we arrived early in the 

 house of a pastor, who gave us good rooms and a good dinner. 

 We had a roast ; the meat tasted somewhat like chicken, and 

 we guessed that it might be a French rabbit, but we were 

 rather astonished to hear that it had been a French cat ! It 

 was the first I ever ate, and I trust it was the last, — though it 

 was rather good. After all, such a deceit from a clergyman 

 grieved me. 



Passing through Suippe, where we had very good quarters 

 in a fine villa, and were treated extremely well, we arrived on 

 November 1 1 in Rheims. We remained in that old city until 

 the 17th, and had ample time to admire the fine cathedral, the 

 triumphal arch, &c., and to discover that we had at home much 

 better champagne than they sold at a rather high price in this 

 home of that wine. 



On November 17 we arrived in Ville aux Bois Jouchery, 

 where we were quartered in a pretentious chateau, situated 

 in a very tastefully laid-out and well kept park, belonging to 

 Monsieur le Baron de Sachs. A gorgeously liveried footman 

 opened the door of a saloon, announcing with great emphasis, 

 * Madame la Princesse !' On entering we saw a fat old lady, 

 Madame la Baronne de Sachs; dressed up like an English fri- 

 gate on the birthday of the Queen, each of her fat fingers 

 covered up to the third joint with sparkling rings, who looked 

 rather perplexed when she saw two insignificant persons, in 



