had expected to reach it in a
quarter or half a mile at most! When we arrived at the station at Sevres,
our difficulties only commenced. "When will the next train leave for
Versailles, and where can we procure our tickets?" were questions which
engaged our best energies and all our ingenuity for half an hour, besides
a rash adventure on my part, before they were solved. (It seems to me now,
that throughout my tour, I always got into more trouble when I had company
to rely upon, than when I was alone). By means of motions with our hands
and by pronouncing the name Versailles, we made them understand where we
intended to go to; but when we asked for "billets," they did not offer us
any. They showed us, however, that the train was due at 1:10, by pointing
out those figures on the dial of the clock. About 15 minutes before the
train was due, we asked again for tickets, and when they were again
refused, we began to fear that the tickets had to be procured on the
opposite side of the railroad. We therefore crossed by a foot-bridge near
the station, but could not approach the house on the other side, on
account of the high fence which shut every body off from the tracks. When
our plans were thus frustrated our company became alarmed with the fear
that we might miss the train for want of tickets, and fail to see
Versailles that day. At this crisis I ascended the bridge and climbed down
along the walls on the inside of the fence; suspending myself from the
lowest iron bars along the bridge, I thus dropped myself into the yard
below! But our discouragement reached its climax, when I found that the
door was closed and locked, which we had hoped was the ticket office. I
could not get out of that inclosure, as the fences were high, the gates
locked and the bridge from which I had dropped myself, was out of my
reach. Several railroad men saw me immediately, who appeared as much
astonished at my coming into that place, as I was perplexed in my awkward
position. I did not misinterpret their French this time, however, for the
way they looked up toward the sky, and their gestures and chattering,
plainly indicated that they wondered where I came from. I motioned them
that I came "from above," and pointed toward the bridge. What fine or
punishment might have been inflicted for my intrusion I do not know, but
I was only rebuked in language which I did not understand, and sent out
through one of the office doors which they unlocked for the pur