ZOOLOGY IN A RAILWAY CARRIAGE. 37 



himself verbally intelligible, got down on his hands 

 and knees, stooped his head, as if to a scent, and then 

 flung it up and bellowed, to the infinite mirth of the 

 lady as well as of myself and the other gentlemen. 

 He then resorted to my pocket-book, and drew the 

 animals of chase, and one way or other we got on 

 very well. 



To get from the main line to Nevers I had to 

 clear out to a branch line at a station called Guetin ; 

 and while on the platform collecting my luggage, a 

 firm friendly grasp was laid on my shoulder, and 

 M. d'Anchald welcomed me most heartily to France. 

 From Guetin we proceeded to Nevers, arriving there 

 at half-past six in the afternoon, and from the station 

 to the Hotel de France, where the carriage to take 

 us to the chateau was in waiting. A very tempting 

 dinner-bell, summoning to the table d'hote, was ring- 

 ing when we arrived at the hotel, and M. d'Anchald 

 advised me to have some dinner ; but, having lunched 

 at one of the stations, and not feeling at the moment 

 hungry, I declined, with a grateful idea of dinner 

 about half-past eight at the chateau. Alas ! I did 

 not then know the French estimation of distance. 

 The two hours' drive I expected, under the most 

 favourable circumstances would have been four ; but 

 as we had some delays in Nevers on account of one 



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