d-brick house, "L'Auberge du Veau qui
Tete" (The Inn of the Sucking Calf), which certainly indicates that this
is great farming country. There are quantities of big white oxen, cows,
and horses in the fields, but the roads are solitary. One never meets
anything except on market day. The Florians who live in Seine et Marne,
which is thickly populated--villages and chateaux close together--were
much struck with the loneliness and great stretches of wood and plain.

We are praying for fine weather, as rain would be disastrous. The main
street looks really charming. The green arch is nearly finished, and at
night, when everything is illuminated, will be most effective.

22nd. It rained yesterday afternoon and all night--not light April
showers, but a good, steady downpour. Francis and Ctesse. de Gontaut
arrived from Paris in his little open automobile. Such a limp, draggled
female as emerged from the little carriage I never saw. They had had
some sharp showers; pannes (breakdowns), too, and she _says_ she pushed
the carriage up all the hills. She didn't seem either tired or cross,
and looked quite bright and rested when she reappeared at dinner.

Various friends arrived this morning, and we have been in La Ferte all
the afternoon. The draperies and festoons of flowers don't look any the
worse for the heavy rain, and at least it is over, and we shall probably
have sun to-morrow. The tent is up on the green, and looks fairly large.
I don't think any one will see anything except in the first eight or ten
rows of chairs, but it seems they will all hear. The stage was being
arranged, and, much to our amusement, they told us the Empire chairs and
tables had been lent by the Abbe Marechal. He is a collectionneur, and
has some handsome furniture. We inspected our tea-room, which didn't
look too bad. Our men were there with tables, china, etc., and when it
is all arranged we shall have quite a respectable buffet. The landlord
was very anxious to decorate the tables with greens, flags, and perhaps
a bust of Racine with a crown of laurels, but we told him it would be
better not to complicate things.

The view was lovely to-day from the top of the hill--the ruins looking
enormous, standing out against the bright blue sky, and soft and pink at
the top where the outline was irregular and the walls crumbling a
little. We had some difficulty in collecting our party, and finally
discovered Francis, Ctesse de Gontaut and Christiani havin