soldiers overran the roads, became billeted in every house, made the
bridges red with their trowsers, and "sprang upon the pier like
fantastic mustard and cress when boats were expected, many of them never
having seen the sea before." But the good behaviour of the men had a
reconciling effect, and their ingenuity delighted him. The quickness
with which they raised whole streets of mud-huts, less picturesque than
the tents,[190] but (like most unpicturesque things) more comfortable,
was like an Arabian Nights' tale. "Each little street holds 144 men, and
every corner-door has the number of the street upon it as soon as it is
put up; and the postmen can fall to work as easily as in the Rue de
Rivoli at Paris." His patience was again a little tried when he found
baggage-wagons ploughing up his favourite walks, and trumpeters in twos
and threes teaching newly-recruited trumpeters in all the sylvan places,
and making the echoes hideous. But this had its amusement too. "I met
to-day a weazen sun-burnt youth from the south with such an immense
regimental shako on, that he looked like a sort of lucifer match-box,
evidently blowing his life rapidly out, under the auspices of two
magnificent creatures all hair and lungs, of such breadth across the
shoulders that I couldn't see their breast-buttons when I stood in front
of them."

The interest culminated as the visit of the Prince Consort approached
with its attendant glories of illuminations and reviews. Beaucourt's
excitement became intense. The Villa du Camp de Droite was to be a blaze
of triumph on the night of the arrival; Dickens, who had carried over
with him the meteor flag of England and set it streaming over a haystack
in his field,[191] now hoisted the French colours over the British Jack
in honour of the national alliance; the Emperor was to subside to the
station of a general officer, so that all the rejoicings should be in
honour of the Prince; and there was to be a review in the open country
near Wimereux, when "at one stage of the maneuvres (I am too excited to
spell the word but you know what I mean)" the whole hundred thousand men
in the camp of the North were to be placed before the Prince's eyes, to
show him what a division of the French army might be. "I believe
everything I hear," said Dickens. It was the state of mind of Hood's
country gentleman after the fire at the Houses of Parliament.
"Beaucourt, as one of the town council, receives summonses to turn out