THE HAVRE RAILWAY. 23 



companions — two of them were pretty girls ; the 

 third was a moustached French gentleman, and per- 

 haps soldier ; and the other a hale and hearty strong 

 man, looking very like a countryman of mine. Oh 

 how I devoured the prospect on either side ! Not so 

 much, dear reader, the features of the ladies as those 

 of la belle France, Everything was new to me ; the 

 weather was beautiful ; the air soft and genial ; and 

 my heart full and free, light and merry. 



" Well," said I to myself, " either that French gen- 

 tleman and handsome girl who sits opposite him are 

 man and wife, and have said their say so often that 

 not a word remains for interchange, or he is phleg- 

 matic and silent enough for a Dutchman." They 

 never exchanged a word between Havre and Paris. 

 With my two companions opposite me I was soon on 

 the best of terms. Such terms as it seems to me 

 that the English and Americans should always be on ; 

 and nothing could be more amusing than our con- 

 versation. 



I had never seen a vineyard ; so on passing one I 

 named it ; but my pretty neighbour replied " Oh, no, 

 they were French beans ; " and being in no humour 

 to contradict such pretty lips, I let her assertion pass. 

 She was very kind and attentive to the dumb man 

 (as I termed myself in regard to the French lan- 



c 4 



