t looked on and listened
very patiently and attentively for nearly half an hour, while he pointed
out to Mrs. Holiday the various routes, and ascertained from the guide
books the times at which the trains set out, and the steamers sailed,
for each of them, and also the cost of getting to Paris by the several
lines. If the readers of this book were themselves actually in London,
and were going to Paris, as Rollo and Jennie were, they would be
interested, perhaps, in having all this information laid before them in
full detail. As it is, however, all that will be necessary, probably, is
to give such a general statement of the case as will enable them to
understand the story.

By looking at any map of Europe, it will be seen that England is
separated from France by the English Channel, a passage which, though it
looks quite narrow on the map, is really very wide, especially toward
the west. The narrowest place is between Dover and Calais, where the
distance across is only about twenty-two miles. This narrow passage is
called the Straits of Dover. It would have been very convenient for
travellers that have to pass between London and Paris if this strait had
happened to lie in the line, or nearly in the line, between these two
cities; but it does not. It lies considerably to the eastward of it; so
that, to cross the channel at the narrowest part, requires that the
traveller should take quite a circuit round. To go by the shortest
distance, it is necessary to cross the channel at a place where Dieppe
is the harbor, on the French side, and New Haven on the English. There
are other places of crossing, some of which are attended with one
advantage, and others with another. In some, the harbors are not good,
and the passengers have to go off in small boats, at certain times of
tide, to get to the steamers. In others, the steamers leave only when
the tide serves, which may happen to come at a very inconvenient hour.
In a word, it is always quite a study with tourists, when they are ready
to leave London for Paris, to determine by which of the various lines it
will be best for their particular party, under the particular
circumstances in which they are placed, to go.

After ascertaining all the facts very carefully, and all the advantages
and disadvantages of each particular line, Mr. Holiday asked his wife
what she thought they had better do.

"The cheapest line is by the way of New Haven," said Mrs. Holiday.

"That's of no con