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going out, and another for carriage going in. Besides these there are two other passage-ways paved with asphalte, and forming sidewalks as it were, through the archway, for the use of foot

passengers.

The carriage passed in and stopped at the foot of the grand staircase on the right hand. The party descended from it and Mrs. Morelle went up the steps and entered the hotel. Grimkie remained to pay the coachman. Florence went up the steps a little way, and then stopped and remained there for a time, looking over the balustrade and surveying the scene presented to her view in the court. There was a sort of sidewalk extending all around the court, with doors opening from it leading into the various offices of the hotel. On the farther side of the court, that is on the side opposite to the one where Florence was standing, there was a coffee-room, and upon the sidewalk in front of it there were several groups of ladies and gentlemen sitting at little tables and drinking coffee, or eating ices, in the open air; or rather in the open court, for it was not precisely in the open air since the whole court was covered with a roofing of glass. It is, however, quite the custom in Paris for people to take refreshments in this way in the open air. We often see groups of ladies and gentlemen sitting

at little tables placed in rows two or three deep, in front of the coffee-houses on the sidewalks of the Boulevards-which are the most public and the most frequented streets in Paris-drinking coffee, or beer, or sugared water, or employed, the gentlemen in reading the newspapers or smoking cigars, and the ladies in watching the throng of persons passing by on the outer portion of the sidewalk. It is true that in these places the sidewalks are immensely wide.

But to return to Florence and Grimkie. Florence waited on the steps until Grimkie had paid the fare and made the coachman his present, for in Paris it is always customary when you take a carriage, in addition to the fare which the law allows for the use of it in proportion to the time or distance in each case, which fare goes of course to the owner of the carriage, to make also a present of a few cents to the coachman. They call this the coachman's drink-money, the theory being that the object of the present is to enable the coachman to get a good drink. Some of the coachmen do very probably spend most of the money they receive in this way, in buying drinks. Others prudently lay it up among their savings, or sometimes carry home little presents at night to their wives or their children.

Some Americans complain very much of this

custom. They consider it vexatious and annoying to be expected thus, when they have paid the full legal fare, to make a present besides, especially as when they are somewhat new to Paris fashions they are often at a loss to know how much they ought to give. Others like the custom very much. The whole amount that is to be paid, present and all, does not make nearly as much as is exacted for carriage hire in New York; so that the custom, as they view it, only amounts to granting them the privilege to retain a portion of what they have to pay, and offer it as a gratuity to the coachman, which gives him pleasure and enables the traveller and the coachman to part excellent good friends.

"How much did you give him ?" asked Florence.

"I gave him enough to get the 'Thank you, kindly,'" said Grimkie.

If you give the coachman less than the usual present he takes it and says nothing, or even looks piteously at you, to ask for more. If you give him about the usual amount, he says, "Thank you, sir!" If you give him more than the usual amount he says, "Thank you kindly, sir !" Grimkie said he always made it a rule

*Merci bien, Monsieur.

to give the coachman enough to get the "Thank you kindly, sir!"

On the farther side of the court, as seen in the engraving, the reader will observe a row of lofty windows extending across the whole of that side of the building. These windows open into a very large and magnificent apartment which is the grand drawing-room of the hotel. The room is very lofty, and is most splendidly decorated with gildings, carvings, elegant mirrors and other embellishments. Along the sides of it are ranges of luxuriant chairs, and in the centre massive tables covered with books, newspapers, reviews, maps, plans, directories, and other such facilities for the instruction or amusement of the guests. Grimkie led the way into this room. In one corner of it, at a small table, was seated a man dressed in a sort of uniform, and with a chain hanging over his shoulders, the badge of his office. He was the custodian of the room.

"This man will tell us where to find the maps," said Florence, looking toward the man.

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No," said Grimkie, "I know where to find them myself."

So saying, Grimkie led the way to one of the tables, and established himself and Florence in two comfortable chairs near it, and then taking up a book of maps which lay there, he began to

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