hand.  Nothing grew upon them save a low wretched turf, and this only in patches.  Beyond, the metamorphic rock gave place to red sandstone, and the ground sloped down into the little coal basin of Firmi.  What a change of scene was there!  The air was thick with smoke, the road was black with coal-dust, most of the houses were new and grimy, nearly all the faces were smutty.  There was a confused noise of wheels going round, of invisible iron monsters grinding their teeth, of trollies rattling along upon rails, and of human voices.  Nature had no charm; but of beauty combined with fasting I had had enough for awhile, so my prejudices melted before the genial ugliness of this sooty paradise, knowing as I did that prosperity goes with such griminess, and that where there is money there are inns offering creature comforts both to man and beast.

Either the angel or the goblin who goes a wayfaring with me led me this time into a heated little auberge infested by myriads of flies, which, getting into the steam of the soupe caix choux in their anxiety to be served first, fell upon their backs in the hot mixture, and made frantic signals to me with their legs to help them out.  There was no temptation to linger at the table when the purpose for which I was there had been attained; so I was very soon on the tramp again, making for the valley of the Lot.

Leaving Decazeville a few miles to the west, I took the direction of Cransac, being curious to see the ‘Smoking Mountains’ in that district.  Between the little coal basin of Firmi and the large one at Cransac and Aubin lay a strip of toilsome hill country.  I had left the round tower of the ruined castle of Firmi below, and was following a winding path up a steep chestnut wood, when two mounted gendarmes passed me going down.  About five minutes later I heard the sound of horses’ hoofs coming near again.  ‘One of the gendarmes is returning,’ was my reflection, and, looking round, I saw this was really so.  The man was trotting his horse up the wood.  Being sure that he was coming after me, I walked slower, and gave myself the most indifferent and loitering air that I could put on.  In a few minutes he reined up his horse at my side.  He was a young man, and his expression told me that he did not much like the duty that his chief had put upon him.  Addressing me, he said: 

‘Pardon, monsieur, you are a stranger in this country?’

‘Yes, I am.’

‘Will you please tell me your quality?’

In reply I asked him if he wished to see my papers.

‘If it will not vex you,’ he said.  His manners were quite charming.  If he was a native of the Rouergue, the army had polished him up wonderfully.  After looking at the papers and finding them satisfactory, he said:  ’Je vous demande pardon, monsieur, mais vous comprenez-----’

’Oh yes, I understand perfectly, and I assure you that my feelings are not at all hurt!’

And so we parted on very good terms.  A woman standing at a cottage door at a little distance watched the scene with a scared and wondering look in her face.  When I was again alone, and she saw me coming towards her, she disappeared with much agility into her fortress and shut the door.  She must have thought that, although I had managed to escape arrest that time, I should certainly come to a bad end.