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"It is," said she, "as if the whole country had come out in their best dresses, with all their sheep and oxen and calves and poultry, and all their other farming stock, for us to see as we ride along."

It was dark before the diligence arrived at Granville. It was not only dark, but it was beginning to grow cold, and the whole party were very glad when the lights of the town began to come into view.

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CHAPTER XVIII

GRANVILLE.

BEFORE the diligence arrived at Granville it had become quite dark, and it was very cold. Mrs. Morelle said it was like traveling in New England, late in the fall, and she was obliged to shut the windows close to keep out what seemed to be the frosty night air, though in fact it was not really cold enough for a frost. Grimkie and John wrapped themselves up in cloaks and blanket shawls, and so kept themselves pretty com

fortable.

At length Mrs. Morelle and Florence, looking

out

that

through the windows of the coupé, found

they were entering the town. Rows of

houses were seen on each side, with bright lights shining at the windows. The road made a long descent among these houses, turning short cor

ners

now and then, as in a zigzag. The houses

became larger and larger, and pretty shops, brightly lighted, began to appear, with sides walks and people walking to and fro upon them.

The

diligence passed rapidly on through what

seemed to be, in the bright gaslight, a series of wide and handsome streets.

"What a fine large town!" said John. "What hotel are you going to stop at, Grimkie ?"

"There are two," said Grimkie. "The Northern and the Three Crowns. I want to go to the nearest, if I can only find out which it is."

While Grimkie was speaking, the diligence drew up before the door of the office, and stopped. There were many people standing on the broad sidewalk before the door, awaiting its arrival. Grimkie and John immediately descended from their seats. At the same time two or three very tidy and pretty looking girls, with caps upon their heads, appeared at the door of the coupé, to ask Mrs. Morelle, as she descended, what hotel she would go to. The girls all invited her to the hotels to which they severally belonged..

"Will you go to the Northern Hotel ?" "Will you go to the Three Crowns ?" "To the Rising Sun, Madame ?" said they.

Mrs. Morelle looked perplexed and turned to Grimkie.

Grimkie addressed the girl who represented. the Northern Hotel, and asked her if it was far. "No, sir," said she. "It is the next door. Give me the lady's bags and parcels and follow

me. I will show you the way. The porter will take the trunks."

By this time Mrs. Morelle and Florence had descended from the coupé, and were standing upon the sidewalk. The men had placed a

smooth plank against the side of the coach, and were sliding down the trunks and baggage. Grimkie waited a moment, until he could point out his aunt's trunks to the porter, and then they all followed the girl along the sidewalk to the door of the hotel, the front of which was brilliantly lighted.

The girl opened a door and ushered the party

into

a

large room, which seemed more like a

family sitting-room, than like the entrance to a

hotel.

There was a bright wood fire burning in

the fireplace. Persons of the family were sitting at tables sewing, or engaged in other domestic Occupations. There were comfortable chairs and sofas along the sides of the room, and maps and pictures on the wall, and in one part a desk and papers, where it seemed that the accounts of the hotel were kept.

The whole party would have liked to stop and

warm

themselves by the fire, but they thought

it best to go on and take possession of their rooms. Grimkie told the girl what rooms they required, and she led the way. They passed

next into the dining-room. It was a large and handsome apartment, with tables set in the centre of it in such a way as to form three sides of a hollow square. The tables made a very brilliant appearance. They were lighted in every part by large and handsome lamps placed at regular intervals. Between the lamps were bouquets of flowers, and between these were a great number of very inviting looking dishes, placed conspicuously on raised stands. Among these was the dessert, which it is customary in France to put upon the table first, and to keep there all the time. The dessert consisted of plates of apples and pears, grapes, nuts and almonds, cakes, sugarplums, and other confectionery, in great variety. Here and there small parties of travelers were seated, eating their dinners.

The girl led the way through this dining hall, out by a door on the farther side of it, and thence up a flight of stairs, to Mrs. Morelle's rooms. Grimkie, at Mrs. Morelle's request, ordered a good fire to be made at once in the largest room, so that it might get well burning by the time they came up from dinner. Then after seeing that all their baggage had been safely brought up, and was properly bestowed, the whole party went down and took their seats at the dinnertable. The dining-room was warm, and the

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