378 MORE POT-POUJIRI 



having nearly come to an end. When they had eaten 

 their fill, superior peppermint lozenges were produced 

 by the lady and shared by her companion ; not one, 

 but six or seven were slowly consumed in the same 

 resigned, sad way. This was to assist digestion, I pre- 

 sume. 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 Rousseau'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 — exter- 

 nally, at any rate — were strong contrasts ! 



I never can pass through this valley of Chamb6ri, 

 with its beautiful mountains all around, without a 

 strange thrill at the thought that here Rousseau 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 Chamb^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 stages of civilisation, the same cus- 

 toms 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 

 atti'acted to a halfmoon- shaped piece of wood scooped 

 out and delicately carved and ornamented. I asked the 

 custodian what it was. He pointed to a small photo- 

 graph placed beside it, which represented a Japanese 



