[Sidenote:  Inspecting the Machinery]

When we got outside, a man was ringing a bell opposite, to invite every one in to see a woman with only a head; she could speak, he said, but had no body.  The Baronne insisted upon going in.  It was a tiny cell of a place and crammed full.  Presently a head appeared on a pedestal and spoke in a subdued voice.  All the others said it was a fraud, but I thought it wonderful.  “Antoine” wanted to go beyond the barrier and touch it, which was mean of him, I think.  Presently a villainous-looking old hag, who was exhibiting the creature, came over, and whispered in “Antoine’s” ear.  I only caught “cinq francs,” but his face looked interested at once, and he and Jean disappeared behind the curtain and the head disappeared too, so we went outside, and bought “farings” at the next booth.  There they joined us.  “Alors, mes amis?” demanded every one.  “Pas la peine, tres mal faite,” said “Antoine”; so I suppose it was the machinery they had been examining.  The next thing we came to was a sort of swing with flying boats, but no one was brave enough to try it except the Marquise and me, though all the men wanted to come with us.  You sit opposite one another, and they are much higher than the ones in England.  Jean would come with me, though I wanted the Vicomte—­so I was glad it made him look quite green.

It chanced that “Antoine” was beside me as we walked to the pistol booth, so I asked him if he had been in Paris on Friday, and he looked so hard at me, you would have thought I was asking a State secret; but he said that alas! no, he had been detained at Versailles.  So it could not have been him after all; there must be a lot of French people exactly alike, I never keep making these mistakes in England.

Have you ever fired off a pistol, Mamma? it is simply horrid.  The pistol booth was next after the “farings” shop, and the prizes were china monsters and lanterns, &c.  The Comtesse is a splendid shot, and hit the flying ball almost each time; she is such a quiet little thing, one would not expect it of her.  The Baronne made a lot of fuss, and said she knew it would kill her, until Hippolyte, who was behind the party with her cloak, said:  “Madame la Baronne doit essayer c’est necessaire que toutes les belles jeunes dames sachent comment se defendre.”  And she fired off the pistol at last with her eyes shut, and it was a mercy it did not kill the attendant, the ball lodged in the wall just beside him, so we thought we had better leave after that!

[Sidenote:  The Montagnes Russes]