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soldiers　had　M。　Loyal　billeted　on　him　this　present　summer；　and　they

all　got　fat　and　red…faced　in　two　days。　　It　became　a　legend　among

the　troops　that　whosoever　got　billeted　on　M。　Loyal　rolled　in

clover；　and　so　it　fell　out　that　the　fortunate　man　who　drew　the

billet　'M。　Loyal　Devasseur'　always　leaped　into　the　air；　though　in

heavy　marching　order。　　M。　Loyal　cannot　bear　to　admit　anything　that

might　seem　by　any　implication　to　disparage　the　military　profession。

We　hinted　to　him　once；　that　we　were　conscious　of　a　remote　doubt

arising　in　our　mind；　whether　a　sou　a　day　for　pocket…money；　tobacco；

stockings；　drink；　washing；　and　social　pleasures　in　general；　left　a

very　large　margin　for　a　soldier's　enjoyment。　　Pardon！　said　Monsieur

Loyal；　rather　wincing。　　It　was　not　a　fortune；　but　…　a　la　bonne

heure　…　it　was　better　than　it　used　to　be！　　What；　we　asked　him　on

another　occasion；　were　all　those　neighbouring　peasants；　each　living

with　his　family　in　one　room；　and　each　having　a　soldier　（perhaps

two）　billeted　on　him　every　other　night；　required　to　provide　for

those　soldiers？　　'Faith！'　said　M。　Loyal；　reluctantly；　a　bed；

monsieur；　and　fire　to　cook　with；　and　a　candle。　　And　they　share

their　supper　with　those　soldiers。　　It　is　not　possible　that　they

could　eat　alone。'　…　'And　what　allowance　do　they　get　for　this？'　said

we。　　Monsieur　Loyal　drew　himself　up　taller；　took　a　step　back；　laid

his　hand　upon　his　breast；　and　said；　with　majesty；　as　speaking　for

himself　and　all　France；　'Monsieur；　it　is　a　contribution　to　the

State！'



It　is　never　going　to　rain；　according　to　M。　Loyal。　　When　it　is

impossible　to　deny　that　it　is　now　raining　in　torrents；　he　says　it

will　be　fine　…　charming　…　magnificent　…　to…morrow。　　It　is　never　hot

on　the　Property；　he　contends。　　Likewise　it　is　never　cold。　　The

flowers；　he　says；　come　out；　delighting　to　grow　there；　it　is　like

Paradise　this　morning；　it　is　like　the　Garden　of　Eden。　　He　is　a

little　fanciful　in　his　language：　smilingly　observing　of　Madame

Loyal；　when　she　is　absent　at　vespers；　that　she　is　'gone　to　her

salvation'　…　allee　a　son　salut。　　He　has　a　great　enjoyment　of

tobacco；　but　nothing　would　induce　him　to　continue　smoking　face　to

face　with　a　lady。　　His　short　black　pipe　immediately　goes　into　his

breast　pocket；　scorches　his　blouse；　and　nearly　sets　him　on　fire。

In　the　Town　Council　and　on　occasions　of　ceremony；　he　appears　in　a

full　suit　of　black；　with　a　waistcoat　of　magnificent　breadth　across

the　chest；　and　a　shirt…collar　of　fabulous　proportions。　　Good　M。

Loyal！　　Under　blouse　or　waistcoat；　he　carries　one　of　the　gentlest

hearts　that　beat　in　a　nation　teeming　with　gentle　people。　　He　has

had　losses；　and　has　been　at　his　best　under　them。　　Not　only　the　loss

of　his　way　by　night　in　the　Fulham　times　…　when　a　bad　subject　of　an

Englishman；　under　pretence　of　seeing　him　home；　took　him　into　all

the　night　public…houses；　drank　'arfanarf'　in　every　one　at　his

expense；　and　finally　fled；　leaving　him　shipwrecked　at　Cleefeeway；

which　we　apprehend　to　be　Ratcliffe　Highway　…　but　heavier　losses

than　that。　　Long　ago　a　family　of　children　and　a　mother　were　left　in

one　of　his　houses　without　money；　a　whole　year。　　M。　Loyal　…　anything

but　as　rich　as　we　wish　he　had　been　…　had　not　the　heart　to　say　'you

must　go；'　so　they　stayed　on　and　stayed　on；　and　paying…tenants　who

would　have　come　in　couldn't　come　in；　and　at　last　they　managed　to

get　helped　home　across　the　water；　and　M。　Loyal　kissed　the　whole

group；　and　said；　'Adieu；　my　poor　infants！'　and　sat　down　in　their

deserted　salon　and　smoked　his　pipe　of　peace。　…　'The　rent；　M。

Loyal？'　　'Eh！　well！　　The　rent！'　　M。　Loyal　shakes　his　head。　　'Le　bon

Dieu；'　says　M。　Loyal　presently；　'will　recompense　me；'　and　he　laughs

and　smokes　his　pipe　of　peace。　　May　he　smoke　it　on　the　Property；　and

not　be　recompensed；　these　fifty　years！



There　are　public　amusements　in　our　French　watering…place；　or　it

would　not　be　French。　　They　are　very　popular；　and　very　cheap。　　The

sea…bathing　…　which　may　rank　as　the　most　favoured　daylight

entertainment；　inasmuch　as　the　French　visitors　bathe　all　day　long；

and　seldom　appear　to　think　of　remaining　less　than　an　hour　at　a　time

in　the　water　…　is　astoundingly　cheap。　　Omnibuses　convey　you；　if　you

please；　from　a　convenient　part　of　the　town　to　the　beach　and　back

again；　you　have　a　clean　and　comfortable　bathing…machine；　dress；

linen；　and　all　appliances；　and　the　charge　for　the　whole　is　half…a…

franc；　or　fivepence。　　On　the　pier；　there　is　usually　a　guitar；　which

seems　presumptuously　enough　to　set　its　tinkling　against　the　deep

hoarseness　of　the　sea；　and　there　is　always　some　boy　or　woman　who

sings；　without　any　voice；　little　songs　without　any　tune：　the　strain

we　have　most　frequently　heard　being　an　appeal　to　'the　sportsman'

not　to　bag　that　choicest　of　game；　the　swallow。　　For　bathing

purposes；　we　have　also　a　subscription　establishment　with　an

esplanade；　where　people　lounge　about　with　telescopes；　and　seem　to

get　a　good　deal　of　weariness　for　their　money；　and　we　have　also　an

association　of　individual　machine　proprietors　combined　against　this

formidable　rival。　　M。　Feroce；　our　own　particular　friend　in　the

bathing　line；　is　one　of　these。　　How　he　ever　came　by　his　name　we

cannot　imagine。　　He　is　as　gentle　and　polite　a　man　as　M。　Loyal

Devasseur　himself；　immensely　stout　withal；　and　of　a　beaming　aspect。

M。　Feroce　has　saved　so　many　people　from　drowning；　and　has　been

decorated　with　so　many　medals　in　consequence；　that　his　stoutness

seems　a　special　dispensation　of　Providence　to　enable　him　to　wear

them；　if　his　girth　were　the　girth　of　an　ordinary　man；　he　could

never　hang　them　on；　all　at　once。　　It　is　only　on　very　great

occasions　that　M。　Feroce　displays　his　shining　honours。　　At　other

times　they　lie　by；　with　rolls　of　manuscript　testifying　to　the

causes　of　their　presentation；　in　a　huge　glass　case　in　the　red…

sofa'd　salon　of　his　private　residence　on　the　beach；　where　M。　Feroce

also　keeps　his　family　pictures；　his　portraits　of　himself　as　he

appears　both　in　bathing　life　and　in　private　life；　his　little　boats

that　rock　by　clockwork；　and　his　other　ornamental　possessions。



Then；　we　have　a　commodious　and　gay　Theatre　…　or　had；　for　it　is

burned　down　now　…　where　the　opera　was　always　preceded　by　a

vaudeville；　in　which　（as　usual）　everybody；　down　to　the　little　old

man　with　the　large　hat　and　the　little　cane　and　tassel；　who　always

played　either　my　Uncle　or　my　Papa；　suddenly　broke　out　of　the

dialogue　into　the　mildest　vocal　snatches；　to　the　great　perplexity

of　unaccustomed　strangers　from　Great　Britain；　who　never　could　make

out　when　they　were　singing　and　when　they　were　talking　…　and　indeed

it　was　pretty　much　the　same。　　But；　the　caterers　in　the　way　of

entertainment　to　whom　we　are　most　beholden；　are　the　Society　of

Welldoing；　who　are　active　all　the　summer；　and　give　the　proceeds　of

their　good　works　to　the　poor。　　Some　of　the　most　agreeable　fetes

they　contrive；　are　announced　as　'Dedicated　to　the　children；'　and

the　taste　with　which　they　turn　a　small　public　enclosure　into　an

elegant　garden　beautifully　illuminated；　and　the　thorough…going

heartiness　and　energy　with　which　they　personally　direct　the

childish　pleasures；　are　supremely　delightful。　　For　fivepence　a

head；　we　have　on　these　occasions　donkey　races　with　English

'Jokeis；'　and　other　rustic　sports；　lotteries　for　toys；　roundabouts；

dancing　on　the　grass　to　the　music　of　an　admirable　band；　fire…

balloons　and　fireworks。　　Further；　almost　every　week　all　through　the

summer　…　never　mind；　now；　on　what　day　of　the　week　…　there　is　a　fete

in　some　adjoining　village　（called　in　that　part　of　the　country　a

Ducasse）；　where　the　people　…　really　THE　PEOPLE　…　dance　on　the　green

turf　in　the　open　air；　round　a　little　orchestra；　that　seems　itself

to　dance；　there　is　such　an　airy　motion　of　flags　and　streamers　all

about　it。　　And　we　do　not　suppose　that　between　the　Torrid　Zone　and

the　North　Pole　there　are　to　be　found　male　dancers　with　such

astonishingly　loose　legs；　furnished　with　so　many　joints　in　wrong

places；　utterly　unknown　to　Professor　Owen；　as　those　who　here

disport　themselves。　　Sometimes；　the　fete　appertains　to　a　particular

trade；　you　will　see　among　the　cheerful　young　women　at　the　joint

Ducasse　of　the　milliners　and　tailors；　a　wholesome　knowledge　of　the

art　of　making　common　and　cheap　things　uncommon　and　pretty；　by　good

sense　and　good　taste；　that　is　a　practical　lesson　to　any　rank　of

society　in　a　whole　island　we　could　mention。　　The　oddest　feature　of

these　agreeable　scenes　is　the　everlasting　Roundabout　（we　preserve

an　English　word　wherever　we　can；　as　we　are　writing　the　English

language）；　on　the　wooden　horses　of　which　machine　grown…up　people　of

all　ages　are　wound　round　and　round　with　the　utmost　solemnity；　while

the　proprietor's　wife　grinds　an　organ；　capable　of　only　one　tune；　in

the　centre。



As　to　the　boarding…houses　of　our　French　watering…place；　they　are

Legion；　and　would　require　a　distinct　treatise。　　It　is　not　without　a

sentiment　of　national　pride　that　we　believe　them　to　contain　more

bores　from　the　shores　of　Albion　than　all　the　clubs　in　London。　　As

you　walk　timidly　in　their　neighbourhood；　the　very　neckcloths　and

hats　of　your　elderly　compatriots　cry　to　you　from　the　stones　of　the

streets；　'We　are　Bores　…　avoid　us！'　　We　have　never　overheard　at

street　corners　such　lunatic　scraps　of　political　and　social

discussion　as　among　these　dear　countrymen　of　ours。　　They　believe

everything　that　is　impossible　and　nothing　that　is　true。　　They　carry

rumours；　and　ask　questions；　and　make　corrections　and　improvements

on　one　another；　staggering　to　the　human　intellect。　　And　they　are

for　ever　rushing　into　the　English　library；　propounding　such

incomprehensible　paradoxes　to　the　fair　mistress　of　that

establishment；　that　we　beg　to　recommend　her　to　her　Majesty's

gracious　consideration　as　a　fit　object　for　a　pension。



The　English　form　a　considerable　part　of　the　population　of　our

French　watering…place；　and　are　deservedly　addressed　and　respected

in　many　ways。　　So