satisfaction, here gathered together an
eclectic collection of curious and artistic treasures, certainly not the
least interesting or valuable among the great public collections in
France. The effect produced is sometimes startling, a Messonier is cheek
by jowl with a Baron Gros, a Decamps _vis a vis_ to a Veronese, and a
Lancret is bolstered on either hand by a Poussin and a Nattier. Amid all
this disorder there is, however, an undeniable, inexplicable charm.

There are three distinct apartments worth, more than all the others, the
glance of the hurried visitor to the Musee Conde at Chantilly. In the
first, the Santuario, is the Livre d'Heures of Etienne Chevalier, by
Jean Fouquet, considered as the most important relic of primitive French
art extant.

The Cabinet des Gemmes comes second, and here is the celebrated "Diamant
Rose," called the Grand Conde.

Finally there is the Galerie de Psyche, with forty-four coloured glass
windows, executed for the Connetable de Montmorency in 1541-1542.

The great collection of historical and artistic treasures stowed away
within the walls of Chantilly the Duc d'Aumale selected himself in order
to associate his own name with the glorious memory of the Condes, who
were so intimately connected with the chateau.

The Duc sought to recover such of the former furnishings of the chateau
as had been dissipated during the Revolution whenever they could be
heard of and could be had at public or private sale.

In this connection a word on Chantilly lace may not be found inapropos.
The Chantilly lace of to-day, it is well to recall, is a mechanically
produced article of commerce, turned out by the running mile from
Nottingham, England, though in the days when Chantilly's porcelains
rivalled those of Sevres it was purely a local product. One may well
argue therefore that the bulk of the Chantilly lace sold in the shops of
Chantilly to-day is not on a par with the admirable examples to be seen
in the glass cases of the museum.

A wooded alley leading to the great park runs between the main edifice
and the Chateau d'Enghien, a gentle incline descending again to the
sunken gardens in a monumental stairway of easy slope, the whole a
quintessence of much that is best of the art of the landscape gardener
of the time.

To the left extends the vast Jardin Anglais--a veritable French Jardin
Anglais. Let not one overlook the distinction: On conventional lines it
is pretty, dainty and pleasing, b