ned with him at the
Rohans', or he with me at 108. Then, back to Brossard's at
ten--tired and happy.

One Sunday I remember well we stayed in school, for old Josselin the
fisherman came to see us there--Barty's grandfather, now a widower;
and M. Merovee asked him to lunch with us, and go to the baths in
the afternoon.

Imagine old Bonzig's delight in this "_vieux loup de mer_," as he
called him! That was a happy day for the old fisherman also; I shall
never forget his surprise at M. Dumollard's telescope--and how
clever he was on the subject.

He came to the baths, and admired and criticised the good swimming
of the boys--especially Barty's, which was really remarkable. I
don't believe he could swim a stroke himself.

Then we went and dined together at Lord Archibald's, in the Rue du
Bac--"Mon Colonel," as the old fisherman always called him. He was a
very humorous and intelligent person, this fisher, though nearer
eighty than seventy; very big, and of a singularly picturesque
appearance--for he had not _endimanche_ himself in the least; and
very clean. A splendid old man; oddly enough, somewhat Semitic of
aspect--as though he had just come from a miraculous draught of
fishes in the Sea of Galilee, out of a cartoon by Raphael!

I recollect admiring how easily and pleasantly everything went
during dinner, and all through the perfection of this ancient
sea-toiler's breeding in all essentials.

Of course the poor all over the world are less nice in their habits
than the rich, and less correct in their grammar and accent, and
narrower in their views of life; but in every other respect there
seemed little to choose between Josselins and Rohans and
Lonlay-Savignacs; and indeed, according to Lord Archibald, the best
manners were to be found at these two opposite poles--or even wider
still. He would have it that Royalty and chimney-sweeps were the
best-bred people all over the world--because there was no possible
mistake about their social status.

I felt a little indignant--after all, Lady Archibald was built out
of chocolate, for all her Lonlay and her Savignac! just as I was
built out of Beaune and Chambertin.

I'm afraid I shall be looked upon as a snob and a traitor to my
class if I say that I have at last come to be of the same opinion
myself. That is, if absolute simplicity, and the absence of all
possible temptation to try and seem an inch higher up than we really
are--But there! this is a very delicate ques