ession　better　than　the　strange；　unexpected　move…　ment　with　which；　from　behind；　it　carries　itself　across　the　river。　　The　earlier　building　stands　in　the　water；　it　had　inherited　the　foundations　of　the　mill　destroyed　by　Thomas　Bohier。　　The　first　step；　therefore；　had　been　taken　upon　solid　piles　of　masonry；　and　the　ingenious　Catherine　…　she　was　a　_raffinee_　…　simply　proceeded　to　take　the　others。　　She　continued　the　piles　to　the　op…　posite　bank　of　the　Cher；　and　over　them　she　threw　a　long；　straight　gallery　of　two　stories。　　This　part　of　the　chateau；　which　looks　simply　like　a　house　built　upon　a　bridge　and　occupying　its　entire　length；　is　of　course　the　great　curiosity　of　Chenonceaux。　　It　forms　on　each　floor　a　charming　corridor；　which；　within；　is　illuminated　from　either　side　by　the　flickering　river…light。　　The　architecture　of　these　galleries；　seen　from　without；　is　less　elegant　than　that　of　the　main　building；　but　the　aspect　of　the　whole　thing　is　delightful。　　I　have　spoken　of　Chenonceaux　as　a　〃villa；〃　using　the　word　ad…　visedly；　for　the　place　is　neither　a　castle　nor　a　palace。　It　is　a　very　exceptional　villa；　but　it　has　the　villa…　quality；　…　the　look　of　being　intended　for　life　in　com…　mon。　　This　look　is　not　at　all　contradicted　by　the　wing　across　the　Cher；　which　only　suggests　intimate　pleasures；　as　the　French　say；　…　walks　in　pairs；　on　rainy　days；　games　and　dances　on　autumn　nights；　together　with　as　much　as　may　be　of　moonlighted　dialogue　（or　silence）　in　the　course；　of　evenings　more　genial　still；　in　the　well…　marked　recesses　of　windows。
  It　is　safe　to　say　that　such　things　took　place　there　in　the　last　century；　during　the　kindly　reign　of　Mon…　sieur　and　Madame　Dupin。　　This　period　presents　itself　as　the　happiest　in　the　annals　of　Chenonceaux。　　I　know　not　what　festive　train　the　great　Diana　may　have　led；　and　my　imagination；　I　am　afraid；　is　only　feebly　kindled　by　the　records　of　the　luxurious　pastimes　organized　on　the　banks　of　the　Cher　by　the　terrible　daughter　of　the　Medici；　whose　appreciation　of　the　good　things　of　life　was　perfectly　consistent　with　a　failure　to　perceive　why　others　should　live　to　enjoy；　them。　　The　best　society　that　ever　assembled　there　was　collected　at　Chenon…　ceaux　during　the　middle　of　the　eighteenth　century。　This　was　surely；　in　France　at　least；　the　age　of　good　society；　the　period　when　it　was　well　for　appreciative　people　to　have　been　born。　　Such　people　should　of　course　have　belonged　to　the　fortunate　few；　and　not　to　the　miserable　many；　for　the　prime　condition　of　a　society　being　good　is　that　it　be　not　too　large。　　The　sixty　years　that　preceded　the　French　Revolution　were　the　golden　age　of　fireside　talk　and　of　those　pleasures　which　proceed　from　the　presence　of　women　in　whom　the　social　art　is　both　instinctive　and　acquired。　　The　women　of　that　period　were；　above　all；　good　company；　the　fact　is　attested　by　a　thousand　documents。　　Chenon…　ceaux　offered　a　perfect　setting　to　free　conversation；　and　infinite　joyous　discourse　must　have　mingled　with　the　liquid　murmur　of　the　Cher。　　Claude　Dupin　was　not　only　a　great　man　of　business；　but　a　man　of　honor　and　a　patron　of　knowledge；　and　his　wife　was　gracious；　clever；　and　wise。　　They　had　acquired　this　famous　pro…　perty　by　purchase　（from　one　of　the　Bourbons；　for　Chenonceaux；　for　two　centuries　after　the　death　of　Catherine　de'　Medici；　remained　constantly　in　princely　hands）；　and　it　was　transmitted　to　their　son；　Dupin　de　Francueil；　grandfather　of　Madame　George　Sand。　　This　lady；　in　her　Correspondence；　lately　published；　describes　a　visit　that　she　paid；　more　than　thirty　years　ago；　to　those　members　of　her　family　who　were　still　in　posses…　sion。　　The　owner　of　Chenonceaux　to…day　is　the　daughter　of　an　Englishman　naturalized　in　France。　　But　I　have　wandered　far　from　my　story；　which　is　simply　a　sketch　of　the　surface　of　the　place。　　Seen　obliquely；　from　either　side；　in　combination　with　its　bridge　and　gallery；　the　chateau　is　singular　and　fantastic；　a　striking　example　of　a　wilful　and　capricious　conception。　　Unfortunately；　all　caprices　are　not　so　graceful　and　successful；　and　I　grudge　the　honor　of　this　one　to　the　false　and　blood…　polluted　Catherine。　　（To　be　exact；　I　believe　the　arches　of　the　bridge　were　laid　by　the　elderly　Diana。　　It　was　Catherine；　however；　who　completed　the　monument。）　Within；　the　house　has　been；　as　usual；　restored。　　The　staircases　and　ceilings；　in　all　the　old　royal　residences　of　this　part　of　France；　are　the　parts　that　have　suffered　least；　many　of　them　have　still　much　of　the　life　of　the　old　time　about　them。　　Some　of　the　chambers　of　Che…　nonceaux；　however；　encumbered　as　they　are　with　mo…　dern　detail；　derive　a　sufficiently　haunted　and　suggestive　look　from　the　deep　setting　of　their　beautiful　windows；　which　thickens　the　shadows　and　makes　dark；　corners。　There　is　a　charming　little　Gothic　chapel；　with　its　apse　hanging　over　the　water；　fastened　to　the　left　flank　of　the　house。　　Some　of　the　upper　balconies；　which　look　along　the　outer　face　of　the　gallery；　and　either　up　or　down　the　river；　are　delightful　protected　nooks。　　We　walked　through　the　lower　gallery　to　the　other　bank　of　the　Cher；　this　fine　apartment　appeared　to　be　for　the　moment　a　purgatory　of　ancient　furniture。　　It　terminates　rather　abruptly；　it　simply　stops；　with　a　blank　wall。　There　ought；　of　course；　to　have　been　a　pavilion　here；　though　I　prefer　very　much　the　old　defect　to　any　mo…　dern　remedy。　　The　wall　is　not　so　blank；　however；　but　that　it　contains　a　door　which　opens　on　a　rusty　draw…　bridge。　　This　drawbridge　traverses　the　small　gap　which　divides　the　end　of　the　gallery　from　the　bank　of　the　stream。　　The　house；　therefore；　does　not　literally　rest　on　opposite　edges　of　the　Cher；　but　rests　on　one　and　just　fails　to　rest　on　the　other。　　The　pavilion　would　have　made　that　up；　but　after　a　moment　we　ceased　to　miss　this　imaginary　feature。　　We　passed　the　little　drawbridge；　and　wandered　awhile　beside　the　river。　From　this　opposite　bank　the　mass　of　the　chateau　looked　more　charming　than　ever；　and　the　little　peaceful；　lazy　Cher；　where　two　or　three　men　were　fishing　in　the　eventide；　flowed　under　the　clear　arches　and　between　the　solid　pedestals　of　the　part　that　spanned　it；　with　the　softest；　vaguest　light　on　its　bosom。　　This　was　the　right　perspective；　we　were　looking　across　the　river　of　time。　　The　whole　scene　was　deliciously　mild。　　The　moon　came　up；　we　passed　back　through　the　gallery　and　strolled　about　a　little　longer　in　the　gardens。　　It　was　very　still。　　I　met　my　old　gondolier　in　the　twilight。　He　showed　me　his　gondola；　but　I　hated；　somehow；　to　see　it　there。　　I　don't　like；　as　the　French　say；　to　_meler　les　genres_。　　A　gondola　in　a　little　flat　French　river？　The　image　was　not　less　irritating；　if　less　injurious；　than　the　spectacle　of　a　steamer　in　the　Grand　Canal；　which　had　driven　me　away　from　Venice　a　year　and　a　half　before。　　We　took　our　way　back　to　the　Grand　Monarque；　and　waited　in　the　little　inn…parlor　for　a　late　train　to　Tours。　　We　were　not　impatient；　for　we　had　an　ex…　cellent　dinner　to　occupy　us；　and　even　after　we　had　dined　we　were　still　content　to　sit　awhile　and　exchange　remarks　upon；　the　superior　civilization　of　France。　Where　else；　at　a　village　inn；　should　we　have　fared　so　well？　　Where　else　should　we　have　sat　down　to　our　refreshment　without　condescension？　　There　were　two　or　three　countries　in　which　it　would　not　have　been　happy　for　us　to　arrive　hungry；　on　a　Sunday　evening；　at　so　modest　an　hostelry。　　At　the　little　inn　at　Chenon…　ceaux　the　_cuisine_　was　not　only　excellent；　but　the　ser…　vice　was　graceful。　　We　were　waited　on　by　mademoiselle　and　her　mamma；　it　was　so　that　mademoiselle　alluded　to　the　elder　lady；　as　she　uncorked　for　us　a　bottle　of　Vouvray　mousseux。　　We　were　very　comfortable；　very　genial；　we　even　went　so　far　as　to　say　to　each　other　that　Vouvray　mousseux　was　a　delightful　wine。　　From　this　opinion；　indeed；　one　of　our　trio　differed；　but　this　member　of　the　party　had　already　exposed　herself　to　the　charge　of　being　too　fastidious；　by　declining　to　de…　scend　from　the　carriage　at　Chaumont　and　take　that　back…stairs　view　of　the　castle。
  VIII。
  Without　fastidiousness；　it　was　fair　to　declare；　on　the　other　hand；　that　the　little　inn　at　Azay…le…Rideau　was　very　bad。　　It　was　terribly　dirty；　and　it　was　in　charge　of　a　fat　_megere_　whom　the　appearance　of　four　trustful　travellers　…　we　were　four；　with　an　illustrious　fourth；　on　that　occasion　…　roused　apparently　to　fury。　I　attached　great　importance　to　this　incongruous　hostess；　for　she　uttered　the　only　uncivil　words　I　heard　spoken　（in　connection　with　any　business　of　my　own）　during　a　tour　of　some　six　weeks　in　France。　　Breakfast　not　at　Azay…le…Rideau；　therefore；　too　trustful　traveller；　or　if　you　do　so；　be　either　very　meek　or　very　bold。　Breakfast　not；　save　under　stress　of　circumstance；　but　let　no　circumstance　whatever　prevent　you　from　going　to　see　the　admirable　chateau；　which　is　almost　a　rival　of　Chenonceaux。　　The　village　lies　close　to　the　gates；　though　after　you　pass　these　gates　　you　leave　it　well　behind。　　A　little　avenue；　as　at　Chenonceaux；　leads　to　the　house；　making　a　pretty　vista　as　you　approach　the　sculptured　doorway。　　Azay　is　a　most　perfect　and　beautiful　thing；　I　should　place　it　third　in　any　list　of　the　great　houses　of　this　part　of　France　in　which　these　houses　should　be　ranked　according　to　charm。　　For　beauty　of　detail　it　comes　after　Blois　and　Chenon…　ceaux；　but　it　c