just to keep us still going, the gentleman asked us if
we smoked, and on our saying we both did, the bell was rung, and the
footman entering with tobacco, we took a pipe with the gentleman, the
lady having previously retired into the drawing-room. Then getting
more used to the distinguished style, and the wine no doubt having
made us more chatty, we for a time thoroughly enjoyed ourselves with
our pipes, and began to feel new men with all our grandeur.

We were next invited to partake of tea in the drawing-room, but being
very tired, we begged to be excused; and this being granted, the
bed-candles being rung for, and having wished him good-night, we went
to our room and there had a hearty laugh over the evening's business;
though we had not been able to understand half what the gentleman had
said, not being used to the French so well as to the Spanish language.
We retired to rest in a fine feather bed, which being a luxury we had
not seen for years, was consequently too soft for our hard bones, and
we found we could not sleep owing to the change. My comrade soon
jumped out of bed, saying, "I'll be bothered, sergeant, I can't sleep
here!" "No," said I, "no more can I;" so we prepared our usual bed by
wrapping ourselves into a blanket, and then with a knapsack as a
pillow we lay on the floor and soon sank into a profound slumber.

Late in the morning, for we had overslept ourselves, the servant
knocked at the door and said breakfast was waiting; and in a very
short time the master himself came up and knocked, and on our calling
to him to come in he opened the door, and looking in, found we had
been sleeping on the floor. On his wanting to know if there were fleas
in the bed, or what was the cause of our lying on the floor, we made
him understand as well as we could, but it must have been very
imperfectly at the best. He then went down again, and we soon
following him, found an excellent breakfast ready, of which we made a
first-rate meal, and after they had left us, for they had finished
long before us, my comrade and I agreed that we had fallen on luck
now, and no mistake.

Very soon after we had finished our breakfast, the servant entered to
conduct us to the drawing-room, which was splendidly furnished, though
for my own part I would rather have been down in the kitchen. We went
in, however, and our hostess took down a book describing the French
and English languages, so that they might understand some of our words