It was all very rustic and a delightful
change from the glories of the exposition and official life. It amused
me perfectly to see W. with a straw hat, sitting on a rather rickety
three-legged stool, eating bread and butter and jam. Once or twice some
of W.'s secretaries came down with despatches, and he had a good
morning's work, but on the whole the month passed lazily and pleasantly.
We went back to Paris about the 10th of September, and remained there
until the end of the exposition. Paris was again crowded with
foreigners--the month of October was beautiful, bright and warm, and the
afternoons at the exposition were delightful at the end of the day, when
the crowd had dispersed a little and the last rays of the setting sun
lingered on the Meudon Hills and the river. The buildings and costumes
lost their tawdry look, and one saw only a mass of moving colour, which
seemed to soften and lose itself in the evening shadows. There were
various closing entertainments. The marshal gave a splendid fete at
Versailles. We drove out and had some difficulty in making our way
through the crowd of carriages, soldiers, police, and spectators that
lined the road.
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