Glories of Spain

le Chef yields-Narbonne-A woman of parts-The course of true love runs smooth-Diner de contrat-Honey versus the lune de miel-Madame's philosophy-L'Allée des So

it-Perpignan-Home of the kings of Majorca-Elne-"Adieu, ma chère France!"-Over the frontier-Ger

clined, and we looked upon the w

isigothic kings; the foundations of some of the towers are Roman, but nothing of the outer walls seems later than the twelfth century. Here in 1210 the army of crusaders under Simon de Montfort laid siege, the cruel Abbot of Citeaux most determined of the enemy. The massacre at Béziers had just taken place, de Montfort foremost in eagerness

ering terror right and left in the plains of Languedoc, found that he had to retire from these w

ce as the other is ancient and romantic. Trees overshadow the boulevards, costly fountains plash throug

never have been finished but for the encouragement of le Grand Monarque, prime mover in that age d'or when the literary firmament was studded with such stars of the first order as Molière, Corneille, Lafontaine, Bossuet, Fénélon,

d fro with sails set to the evening breeze and the setting sun, still form one of earth's most rare and beautiful scenes, full of calm repose. Corn and wine and oil are their freights; rich Argosie

ose of the great Canal. This takes its way through a fertile valley given up to vines and olives, fig-trees and pomegranates; and he

h these waterways on its

At Narbonne we had the good fortune to find a Chef de Gare civil and obliging as he of Bordeaux, who declared it impossible to reach Gerona that day as there was no railway commu

e there is a good inn, than go on to th

comfortable-and on French ground," laughing:

But our luggage? It is

go on to Portbou. I cannot give it to you. It

o Portbou, we cannot remain behind. Have you the

hed at length, "I cannot do that, and for once will make an exceptio

ter, delayed the train until the luggage was found, and car

Grass never grew under her feet. She seemed gifted with ubiquity, and startled one by her rapid movements. A capable woman, who made her little world wor

on hand. "To-night was the diner de contrat, to-morrow the diner de noce. A hund

gn of festive enjoyment. Loud laughter, applause, healths pledged,

ectively. Glass and silver glittered under the rays of light; flowers perfumed the air; orange-trees sto

But it was really a mariage d'amour, not merely de convenance. Les mariés were both delightful. One hardly knew whic

t she was no less practical, and it was wonderfu

lines in days gone by. "But where was the honey?" we asked during the course of our

again and was flying about the room like a firework. "You may well ask, monsieur. No house so badly supplied with coals as the charbonnier, and in Narbonne we see lit

red and fifty people on her brain, no wonder if small matters were forgotten. And yet madame seemed of those who forget nothing, her faculties embracing both wide organisation and minute detail. A thin, wi

ople that come to poverty and have only themselves to thank for it. That, monsieur," turning to us who waited a direction, "is the reason we cannot very much help

estowed, and the erring waiter ordere

carcely anything in the way of picturesque outlines, nothing in the way of Roman remains. Yet it flourished as far back as the fifth century B.C., a

Cevennes and Pyrenees on the one side, on the other watch the broad blue waters shimmering in the sunshine, more beautiful than a dream in their deep sapphire; you may count the white-winged boats sailing lazily to an

? Do ghosts of the past haunt it with long-drawn sighs? Has it had more than its share of Abelards and Hélo?ses, Romeos and Juliets? Has

towards the Cathedral-a Cathedral no longer, for Narbonne, on

of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. Little beyond the choir exists-a sple

and pillars and vaulted roofs might stretch behind us. Such was the intention of the architect, but his plans were not carried out. In reality there was nothing. Within a few feet came the narrow outer passage and the dead wall of the west front; but in the darkness all this was not realised. We only saw the splendid choir, vast height, graceful outlines, groi

se leading to the museum is of broad, massive marble. Up and down these stairs and corridors was once wont to pass the proud footstep of a primate, with head erect under the cardinal's red hat, whilst the rustle of silken robes,

he garden, where in days gone by the Archbishop paced and meditated in the seclusion of impenetrable walls. Looking upwards nothing would arre

marriage with one who would make him a bad wife. Or he had grown tired of his narrow world, and pleaded to cross the seas and begin life on a new soil. Whatever it might be, he departed looking very much as if he too had his burden to bear. In passing he saluted, and said, "Bonjour, messieurs," and his looks were comely and his voice was pleasant. He had the air of a sailor, and possibly was a fisherman from the little port ei

rglow had faded, we went back to the ho

entrance to the dining-room the procession would walk through an avenue of peace and plenty. The effect was charming. Nothing could be more beautiful than the luscious perfumed blossoms, richer than the deep foliage, more picturesque than the scented golden fruit hanging gracef

trying. Bidding madame le bonsoir, who flashed to and fro like lightning, yet was neither hurried nor flurried, she politely returned us la bonne nuit; adding,

early train, and devote a few hours to Perpignan; hours of enforced waiting on our way to Gerona. After an amount of rapping and calling that might have roused the dead, H. C. had risen, lighted his own candles, and protes

be past midnight." Then consciousness dawned upon him and the full measure of hi

was that uncomfortable hour when the early morning light creeps in, and candles and gas-lamps show pale and unearthly. The room lo

internal economy of the establishment. In came the baker with a basket of steaming rolls giving out a delicious odour of bread fresh from the oven; and with new-churned butter-the last we tasted for many a long day-we made an amb

have my diner de noce, and must be back early. Vraiment, c'est une charge! Ah! they amused themselves last night!

to bed at all, which we begin to doubt-and rise up early. This morn

e la bonne volonté-" she laughed. "There is the whole secret. And now, au r

t the next time we come you present us wi

roachfully, and disappeared like a flash into the street. Up rattled t

d the famous honey we were not permitted to enjoy. Here and there were immense salt lakes, giving the country a flooded appearance, bringing fever to the neighbourhood. Once, years ago, passing these endless lake districts in the night, weird, solemn, mysterious, we wondered what they

our old-man-of-the-sea; the baggage went o

urts and balconies so common to Spain. Some of its thoroughfares are picturesque and arcaded, and every now and then you come upon an assemblage of wonderful roofs with their red tiles, gorgeous creepers, and enormous vines; but they are the exception. It is strongly fortified, and some of the old gateways are interesting. In days gone by these fortifications were needed, for Perpignan was the great point of defence in the Eastern Pyrenees between Spain and France. The Cathedral is chiefly famous for the immense sp

ing above the town like a rare twelfth-century vision. Here Hannibal encamped on his way to Rome. Here came Constantine and named it Elena in memory of his mother. Here the Emperor Constantine was assassinated by o

lence reigns. Passing away, we noted how its clear outlines stood out against the

another. At Cerbère nothing but French was heard. A few minutes afterwards, at Portbou, we spoke in French to one of the officials, who listened to the end, shook his head, and gruffly said "No entendo." We had entered Spain-land of slow trains, abru

DR

your ticket only states Barcelona. If you break your journ

you an exception," said the chef; "but you will have trouble at Ger

e a shrewd guess. Conscripts were going off, and all this crowd and noise was a farewell ovation, in which the conscripts joined uproariously. On the platform we almost fell against two stalwart old men, who stood conspicuously above the multitude. Each had evidently come to see a son off. One was especially a ty

rter, looking at our tickets. "This is incorrect and

I can be troubled with luggage on such a night as th

ed outside through the crow

tion on their part? If so, I must say they are appreciative. Perhaps my volume of Lyrics, dedicated to my aunt

ost unpoetical attitude. Picking himself up as carefully as if he had been made of delicate china suffering from a few compound

poetry to prose, from the