We started off with the shooters.  Some walking, some driving, and had one pretty battue of rabbits; after that two of pheasants, which were most amusing.  There were plenty of birds, and they came rocketing over our heads in fine style.  I found that Comtesse de B. was quite right about the necessity for short skirts and thick boots.  We stood on the edge of a ploughed field, which we had to cross afterward on our way home, and I didn’t think it was possible to have such cakes of mud as we had on our boots.  We scraped off some with sticks, but our boots were so heavy with what remained that the walk home was tiring.

Mme. A. was standing at the hall-door when we arrived, and requested us not to come into the hall, but to go in by the lingerie entrance and up the back stairs, so I fancy we hadn’t got much dirt off.  I had a nice rest until 4.30, when I went down to the salon for tea.  We had all changed our outdoor garments and got into rather smart day dresses (none of those ladies wore tea-gowns).  The men appeared about five; some of them came into the salon notwithstanding their muddy boots, and then came the livre de chasse and the recapitulation of the game, which is always most amusing.  Everyman counted more pieces than his beater had found.

The dinner and evening were pleasant, the guests changing a little.  Two of the original party went off before dinner, two others arrived, one of them a Cabinet minister (Finances).  He was very clever and defended himself well when his policy was freely criticised.  While we women were alone after dinner, Mme. A. showed me how to make crochet petticoats.  She gave me a crochet-needle and some wool and had wonderful patience, for it seemed a most arduous undertaking to me, and all my rows were always crooked; however, I did learn, and have made hundreds since.  All the children in our village pull up their little frocks and show me their crochet petticoats whenever we meet them.  They are delighted to have them, for those we make are of good wool (not laine de bienfaisance, which is stiff and coarse), and last much longer than those one buys.

The second day was quite different.  There was no shooting.  We were left to our own devices until twelve o’clock breakfast.  W. and I went for a short stroll in the park.  We met M. A., who took us over the farm, all so well ordered and prosperous.  After breakfast we had about an hour of salon before starting for the regular tournee de proprietaire through park and gardens.  The three ladies—­Mme. A., her daughter, and daughter-in-law—­had beautiful work.  Mme. A. was making portieres for her daughter’s room, a most elaborate pattern, reeds and high plants, a very large piece of work; the other two had also very complicated work—­one a table-cover, velvet, heavily embroidered, the other a church ornament (almost all the Frenchwomen of a certain monde turn their wedding dresses, usually of white satin, into