The Argosy — page 345: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

324 Far Normandy. all that last and wonderful disclosure—had taken possession of us. We would not have missed it for the world; nay, far rather would have put up with the inconvenience of a night at Dreux. But this was not to be our fate. We reached the railway station, and found we were a good quarter of an hour before our time; and the porter had been true to his charge. He indeed did not refuse a remembrance at the prodigal hands of H. C., but this time it was silver, not gold. The train came up ; we entered with our numerous packages, and steamed away. } And now, reader, I have an apology to offer thee. I had almost promised to show thee Chartres in this paper; had thought to do so ; and behold the pen has run away with its subject, and has kept us lingering at Dreux. I have not even views to offer thee ; for being night we could not sketch. Moreover, I knew not that Dreux would prove a theme so long drawn out. We cannot even give thee sketches from memory, for it 1s the eleventh hour, and merciless printers have waxed impatient. ‘Time is ended. I shall not even be treated to that doubtful compliment from amiable friends, who, had I been born conceited (which Heaven forbid), would long since have landed me in the sackcloth and ashes of humility. ‘‘ We like your papers,” say they, “the pictures are so pretty /’’ If they tried for a hundred years, could they find a more self-subduing, a more crushing speech? By mere chance H. C. had sketched the town hall, and so with it I am able to strike the key-note of my paper; but that is all. I have endeavoured to give you a few word pictures of scenes which occupied our two hours at Dreux ; a dark night’s scenes which left a peculiarly vivid and pleasant, an unfading impression upon us; but I feel only too acutely that the other pictures are wanting. If, reader, thou possessest neither the amiability of a saint nor the patience of Job—to which we have already alluded—in charity accord me what thou canst. ‘There are such things as repentance in the present and amendment in the future. Of the one I am certain—I will endea- vour to bring forth the other. Gomicbooks ! an \ (ele) m