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down according to the state of the te diligence at St. Lo, however, was d. There was no interior, and the 3 top was only a cushioned bench, protection from the weather.

was small, and there was only room ons upon the seat.

e are four of us to go," said Mrs. Vhat shall we do?"

ride on top," said John, eagerly. top."

ne began at once to climb up to the

iderable consultation and debate, it that Mrs. Morelle and Florence places in the coupé, and that Griman should go upon the top. So t into the office and engaged the Lid for them. The price for those was only about two-thirds that of coupé.

morning at a little past eleven-for

long wind the statio

to the top walked al

selves wit

they saw

before tw

out the h

and Flore

were seat

where the
ably, with
and the b
Morelle h
as the su

The ho people o others-1 the dilig which I rotunda. struck t

and departure of every train-down through long winding street, and over a stone bridge t the station. The baggage was there transferre to the top of the diligence, and they themselve walked about the station grounds, amusing them selves with watching the various operations whic they saw going on there, until a few minute before twelve, when the hostlers began to brin out the horses. Grimkie then assisted his aur and Florence to enter the coupé, and after the were seated he and John climbed up to the top where they established themselves very comfort ably, with blanket shawls over their shoulder: and the boot drawn up over their knees, for Mr Morelle had told them that it would grow coc as the sun declined. The horses were soon harnessed, and severa people of the country others took their places in the omnibus part o the diligence, which for some reason or other which I could never understand, is called the rotunda. In a very few minutes after the cloc struck twelve, the diligence set out, and th

- peasant women an

* French--rotonde.

ill have a capital ride."
id Grimkie, "so we will."

glad," said John, "that there was
all four of us in the coupé."

ach more genteel to ride in the Grimkie.

are for the genteelness of it," replied vant to ride where I can see.

ing the environs of the town, the sered upon one of the grand highnce, a species of road which is in peculiar to France, or which at least t country, in greater perfection than -. These roads are very broad and - they are finished in every part with act military precision. They are in at measure, military roads, being conThe government at an enormous exmaintained in the most perfect cona view to facilitating, as much as marching of troops to and fro, all ntry, and the transmission of artil

are some

finished

the grain in a gent a broad a

upon one
one town
side, alon

are arrar
condition
used for
first appe
shows its
At eve
ure of d
what Jo
were larg
one on e
two tow

sloping 1
the name
these gr
numbere

but they are bordered by rows of trees, whic are sometimes of magnificent size, and they ar finished perfectly, to the margin of the grass c the grain on each side, like gravel walks or drive in a gentleman's pleasure grounds. Very ofte a broad and nicely finished sidewalk, runs alon upon one side of the road for miles, leading fror one town or village to another, and on the othe side, along the whole extent of the road, ther are arranged in regular order, and in the nices condition, little pyramids of broken stone, to b used for the repair of the road, whenever th first appearance of a rut, or the least irregularit shows itself upon the surface.

At every kilometre-which is a French meas ure of distance in respect to roads-there wa what John called a milestone. These stone were large and substantial, and had three faces one on each side showing the distances to th two towns in the two directions, and anothe sloping toward the road on the top, containin the name and number of the road itself-for al these great military highways are named an numbered.

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as. They were workmen, dressed in iform, as government officials, and badge upon their caps denoting their me canton of the road which was unrge.

ad as this as it opens to the view of seated on the banquette of a diliding sometimes before him as far as an unbroken line, and bordered on rows of wide-spreading trees, preeye, as the horses gallop on over and solid surface, a very grand and ectacle.

e hours' ride from St. Lo to GranDout midway of the road was the utances, where Grimkie calculated gence would arrive about half past were many other villages, however, id, and the diligence stopped several age horses. These stoppages usually ; some very ancient and queer-look1 stables built of stone and roofed

the horses

hours, to of the tow The dil the very

two narro four corne and two r looking c

peasant g diligence and asked

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