to say to him, and I passed on.  I did find Mme. Thiers and Mlle. Dosne in the small salon at the other end, both asleep, each in an arm-chair.  I was really embarrassed.  They didn’t hear me coming in, and were sleeping quite happily and comfortably.  I didn’t like to go back to the other salon, where there were only men, so I sat down on a sofa and looked about me, and tried to feel as if it was quite a natural occurrence to be invited to come in the evening and to find my hostess asleep.  After a few minutes I heard the swish of a satin dress coming down the big salon and a lady appeared, very handsome and well dressed, whom I didn’t know at all.  She evidently was accustomed to the state of things; she looked about her smilingly, then came up to me, called me by name, and introduced herself, Mme. A. the wife of an admiral whom I often met afterward.  She told me not to mind, there wasn’t the slightest intention of rudeness, that both ladies would wake up in a few minutes quite unconscious of having really slept.  We talked about ten minutes, not lowering our voices particularly.  Suddenly Mme. Thiers opened her eyes, was wide awake at once—­how quietly we must have come in; she had only just closed her eyes for a moment, the lights tired her, etc.  Mlle. Dosne said the same thing, and then we went on talking easily enough.  Several more ladies came in, but only two or three men. They all remained in the farther room talking, or rather listening, to M. Thiers.  He was already a very old man, and when he began to talk no one interrupted him; it was almost a monologue.  I went back several times to the Place St. Georges, but took good care to go later, so that the ladies should have their nap over.  One of the young diplomat’s wives had the same experience, rather worse, for when the ladies woke up they didn’t know her.  She was very shy, spent a wretched ten minutes before they woke, and was too nervous to name herself.  She was half crying when her husband came to the rescue.

We left the next morning early, as W. had people coming to him in the afternoon.  I enjoyed my visit thoroughly, and told them afterward of my misgivings and doubts as to how I should get along with strangers for two or three days.  I think they had rather the same feeling.  They were very old friends of my husband’s, and though they received me charmingly from the first, it brought a foreign and new element into their circle.

* * * * *

Another interesting old chateau, most picturesque, with towers, moat, and drawbridge, is Lorrey-le-Bocage, belonging to the Comte de S. It stands very well, in a broad moat—­the water clear and rippling and finishing in a pretty little stream that runs off through the meadows.  The place is beautifully kept—­gardens, lawns, courts, in perfect order.  It has no particular historic interest for the family, having been bought by the parents of the present owner.