purpose　of　my　stay；　I　thought　it　vain；　while　I　started　for　Bourges；　to　determine　to　which　category　that　little　expedition　might　belong。　　It　was　not　till　the　third　day　that　I　re…　turned　to　Tours；　and　the　distance；　traversed　for　the　most　part　after　dark；　was　even　greater　than　I　had　sup…　posed。　　That；　however；　was　partly　the　fault　of　a　tire…　some　wait　at　Vierzon；　where　I　had　more　than　enough　time　to　dine；　very　badly；　at　the　_buffet_；　and　to　observe　the　proceedings　of　a　family　who　had　entered　my　rail…　way　carriage　at　Tours　and　had　conversed　unreservedly；　for　my　benefit；　all　the　way　from　that　station；　…　a　family　whom　it　entertained　me　to　assign　to　the　class　of　_petite　noblesse　de　province_。　　Their　noble　origin　was　confirmed　by　the　way　they　all　made　_maigre_　in　the　refreshment　oom　（it　happened　to　be　a　Friday）；　as　if　it　had　been　possible　to　do　anything　else。　　They　ate　two　or　three　omelets　apiece；　and　ever　so　many　little　cakes；　while　the　positive；　talkative　mother　watched　her　children　as　the　waiter　handed　about　the　roast　fowl。　　I　was　destined　to　share　the　secrets　of　this　family　to　the　end；　for　when　I　had　taken　place　in　the　empty　train　that　was　in　waiting　to　convey　us　to　Bourges；　the　same　vigilant　woman　pushed　them　all　on　top　of　me　into　my　com…　partment；　though　the　carriages　on　either　side　con…　tained　no　travellers　at　all。　　It　was　better；　I　found；　to　have　dined　（even　on　omelets　and　little　cakes）　at　the　station　at　Vierzon　than　at　the　hotel　at　Bourges；　which；　when　I　reached　it　at　nine　o'clock　at　night；　did　not　strike　me　as　the　prince　of　hotels。　　The　inns　in　the　smaller　provincial　towns　in　France　are　all；　as　the　term　is；　commercial；　and　the　_commis…voyageur_　is　in　triumphant　possession。　　I　saw　a　great　deal　of　him　for　several　weeks　after　this；　for　he　was　apparently　the　only　traveller　in　the　southern　provinces；　and　it　was　my　daily　fate　to　sit　opposite　to　him　at　tables　d'hote　and　in　railway　trains。　　He　may　be　known　by　two　infallible　signs；　…　his　hands　are　fat；　and　he　tucks　his　napkin　into　his　shirt…collar。　　In　spite　of　these　idiosyncrasies；　he　seemed　to　me　a　reserved　and　inoffensive　person；　with　singularly　little　of　the　demonstrative　good…humor　that　he　has　been　described　as　possessing。　　I　saw　no　one　who　re…　minded　me　of　Balzac's　〃illustre　Gaudissart；〃　and　in…　deed；　in　the　course　of　a　month's　journey　through　a　large　part　of　France；　I　heard　so　little　desultory　con…　versation　that　I　wondered　whether　a　change　had　not　come　over　the　spirit　of　the　people。　　They　seemed　to　me　as　silent　as　Americans　when　Americans　have　not　been　〃introduced；〃　and　infinitely　less　addicted　to　ex…　changing　remarks　in　railway　trains　and　at　tables　d'hote　the　colloquial　and　cursory　English；　a　fact　per…　haps　not　worth　mentioning　were　it　not　at　variance　with　that　reputation　which　the　French　have　long　en…　joyed　of　being　a　pre…eminently　sociable　nation。　　The　common　report　of　the　character　of　a　people　is；　how…　ever；　an　indefinable　product；　and　it　is；　apt　to　strike　the　traveller　who　observes　for　himself　as　very　wide　of　the　mark。　　The　English；　who　have　for　ages　been　de…　scribed　（mainly　by　the　French）　as　the　dumb；　stiff；　unapproachable　race；　present　to…day　a　remarkable　ap…　pearance　of　good…humor　and　garrulity；　and　are　dis…　tinguished　by　their　facility　of　intercourse。　　On　the　other　hand；　any　one　who　has　seen　half　a　dozen　Frenchmen　pass　a　whole　day　together　in　a　railway…　carriage　without　breaking　silence　is　forced　to　believe　that　the　traditional　reputation　of　these　gentlemen　is　simply　the　survival　of　some　primitive　formula。　　It　was　true；　doubtless；　before　the　Revolution；　but　there　have　been　great　changes　since　then。　　The　question　of　which　is　the　better　taste；　to　talk　to　strangers　or　to　hold　your　tongue；　is　a　matter　apart；　I　incline　to　believe　that　the　French　reserve　is　the　result　of　a　more　definite　con…　ception　of　social　behavior。　　I　allude　to　it　only　be…　came　it　is　at　variance　with　the　national　fame；　and　at　the　same　time　is　compatible　with　a　very　easy　view　of　life　in　certain　other　directions。　　On　some　of　these　latter　points　the　Boule　d'Or　at　Bourges　was　full　of　instruction；　boasting；　as　it　did；　of　a　hall　of　reception　in　which；　amid　old　boots　that　had　been　brought　to　be　cleaned；　old　linen　that　was　being　sorted　for　the　wash；　and　lamps　of　evil　odor　that　were　awaiting　replenish…　ment；　a　strange；　familiar；　promiscuous　household　life　went　forward。　　Small　scullions　in　white　caps　and　aprons　slept　upon　greasy　benches；　the　Boots　sat　staring　at　you　while　you　fumbled；　helpless；　in　a　row　of　pigeon…　holes；　for　your　candlestick　or　your　key；　and；　amid　the　coming　and　going　of　the　_commis…voyageurs_；　a　little　sempstress　bent　over　the　under…garments　of　the　hostess；　…　the　latter　being　a　heavy；　stem；　silent　woman；　who　looked　at　people　very　hard。
  It　was　not　to　be　looked　at　in　that　manner　that　one　had　come　all　the　way　from　Tours；　so　that　within　ten　minutes　after　my　arrival　I　sallied　out　into　the　dark…　ness　to　get　somehow　and　somewhere　a　happier　im…　pression。　　However　late　in　the　evening　I　may　arrive　at　a　place；　I　cannot　go　to　bed　without　an　impression。　The　natural　place；　at　Bourges；　to　look　for　one　seemed　to　be　the　cathedral；　which；　moreover；　was　the　only　thing　that　could　account　for　my　presence　_dans　cette　galere_。　　I　turned　out　of　a　small　square；　in　front　of　the　hotel；　and　walked　up　a　narrow；　sloping　street；　paved　with　big；　rough　stones　and　guiltless　of　a　foot…way。　It　was　a　splendid　starlight　night；　the　stillness　of　a　sleeping　_ville　de　province_　was　over　everything；　I　had　the　whole　place　to　myself。　　I　turned　to　my　right；　at　the　top　of　the　street；　where　presently　a　short；　vague　lane　brought　me　into　sight　of　the　cathedral。　　I　ap…　proached　it　obliquely；　from　behind；　it　loomed　up　in　the　darkness　above　me；　enormous　and　sublime。　　It　stands　on　the　top　of　the　large　but　not　lofty　eminence　over　which　Bourges　is　scattered；　…　a　very　good　position；　as　French　cathedrals　go；　for　they　are　not　all　so　nobly　situated　as　Chartres　and　Laon。　　On　the　side　on　which　I　approached　it　（the　south）　it　is　tolerably　well　ex…　posed；　though　the　precinct　is　shabby；　in　front；　it　is　rather　too　much　shut　in。　　These　defects；　however；　it　makes　up　for　on　the　north　side　and　behind；　where　it　presents　itself　in　the　most　admirable　manner　to　the　garden　of　the　Archeveche；　which　has　been　arranged　as　a　public　walk；　with　the　usual　formal　alleys　of　the　_jardin　francais_。　　I　must　add　that　I　appreciated　these　points　only　on　the　following　day。　　As　I　stood　there　in　the　light　of　the　stars；　many　of　which　had　an　autumnal　sharpness；　while　others　were　shooting　over　the　heavens；　the　huge；　rugged　vessel　of　the　church　overhung　me　in　very　much　the　same　way　as　the　black　hull　of　a　ship　at　sea　would　overhang　a　solitary　swimmer。　　It　seemed　colossal；　stupendous；　a　dark　leviathan。
  The　next　morning；　which　was　lovely；　I　lost　no　time　in　going　back　to　it；　and　found；　with　satisfaction；　that　the　daylight　did　it　no　injury。　　The　cathedral　of　Bourges　is　indeed　magnificently　huge；　and　if　it　is　a　good　deal　wanting　in　lightness　and　grace　it　is　perhaps　only　the　more　imposing。　　I　read　in　the　excellent　hand…　book　of　M。　Joanne　that　it　was　projected　〃_des_　1172；〃　but　commenced　only　in　the　first　years　of　the　thirteenth　century。　　〃The　nave〃　the　writer　adds；　〃was　finished　_tant　bien　que　mal；　faute　de　ressources；_　the　facade　is　of　the　thirteenth　and　fourteenth　centuries　in　its　lower　part；　and　of　the　fourteenth　in　its　upper。〃　　The　allusion　to　the　nave　means　the　omission　of　the　transepts。　　The　west　front　consists　of　two　vast　but　imperfect　towers；　one　of　which　（the　south）　is　immensely　buttressed；　so　that　its　outline　slopes　forward；　like　that　of　a　pyramid；　being　the　taller　of　the　two。　　If　they　had　spires；　these　towers　would　be　prodigious；　as　it　is；　given　the　rest　of　the　church；　they　are　wanting　in　elevation。　　There　are　five　deeply　recessed　portals；　all　in　a　row；　each　surmounted　with　a　gable；　the　gable　over　the　central　door　being　exceptionally　high。　　Above　the　porches；　which　give　the　measure　of　its　width；　the　front　rears　itself；　piles　itself；　on　a　great　scale；　carried　up　by　gal…　leries；　arches；　windows；　sculptures；　and　supported　by　the　extraordinarily　thick　buttresses　of　which　I　have　spoken；　and　which；　though　they　embellish　it　with　deep　shadows　thrown　sidewise；　do　not　improve　its　style。　The　portals；　especially　the　middle　one；　are　extremely　interesting；　they　are　covered　with　curious　early　sculp…　tures。　　The　middle　one；　however；　I　must　describe　alone。　　It　has　no　less　than　six　rows　of　figures；　…　the　others　have　four；　…　some　of　which；　notably　the　upper　one；　are　still　in　their　places。　　The　arch　at　the　top　has　three　tiers　of　elaborate　imagery。　　The　upper　of　these　is　divided　by　the　figure　of　Christ　in　judgment；　of　great　size；　stiff　and　terrible；　with　outstretched　arms。　　On　either　side　of　him　are　ranged　three　or　four　angels；　with　the　instruments　of　the　Passion。　　Beneath　him；　in　the　second　frieze；　stands　the　angel　of　justice；　with　his　scales；　and　on　either　side　of　him　is　the　vision　of　the　last　judgment。　　The　good　prepare；　with　infinite　titilla…　tion　and　complacency；　to　ascend　to　the　skies；　while　the　bad　are　dragged；　pushed；　hurled；　stuffed；　crammed；　into　pits　and　caldrons　of　fire。　　There　is　a　charming　detail　in　this　section。　　Beside　the　angel；　on；　the　right；　where　the　wicked　are　the　prey　of　demons；　stands　a　litt