how honest, how manly,' began Livy, as she mounted
her hobby, and prepared for a canter over the prejudices of her friend;
for Amanda detested England because she knew nothing of it.

'The cabman cheated us, asking double fares,' replied the dear girl,
wrapping herself in many cloaks and refusing to admire the fog.

'Not at all,' cried Livy; 'the trunks were immense, and you'll find we
shall have to pay extra for them everywhere. It is the same as having
them weighed and paying for the pounds, only this saves much time and
trouble. Look at the handsome guard in his silver-plated harness. How
much nicer he is than a gabbling Italian, or a Frenchman who compliments
you one minute and behaves like a brute the next! It does my soul good
to see the clean, rosy faces, and hear good English instead of
gibberish.'

'Never in my life have I seen such tall, fine-looking men, only they are
all fair, which isn't my style,' observed Matilda, with a secret sigh
for the dark-eyed heroes from Turin.

Thus conversing, they soon came to the G---- Hotel just at the end of the
railway, and without going out of the station found themselves settled
in comfortable rooms.

'Regard, if you please, these toilette arrangements--two sorts of
bath-pan, two cans of cold water, one of hot, two big pitchers, much
soap, and six towels about the size of table-cloths. I call that an
improvement on the continental cup, saucer, and napkin accommodation,'
said Lavinia, proudly displaying a wash-stand that looked like a
dinner-table laid for a dozen, such was the display of glass, china, and
napery.

'The English certainly are a clean people,' replied Amanda, softening a
little as she remembered her fruitless efforts to find a bath-pan in
Brittany, where the people said the drought was caused by the English
using so much water.

'They need more appliances for cleanliness than any other race, because
they live in such a dirty country,' began Matilda, removing the soot
from her face in flakes.

What more she might have said is unknown; for Livy closed her mouth with
a big sponge, and all retired to repose after the trials of the past
night.

'Now, my dears, you shall have food fit for Christian women to eat. No
weak soup, no sour wine, no veal stewed with raisins, nor greasy salad
made of all the weeds that grow. Beef that will make you feel like
giants, and beer that will cheer the cockles of your hearts; not to
mention cheese which will make you