that　this　argument　was　in　the　course　of　debate　between　us；
  straightway　flung　his　furniture　overboard　and　expressed　a　preference
  for　sinking　his　ship　rather　than　yielding　it　to　the　etranger。
  Nothing　came　of　this　wish　of　his；　to　be　sure；　but　the　intention　is
  everything。　　Unlucky　circumstances　denied　him　the　power；　but　he　had
  the　will。
  Well；　beyond　this　disappointment；　the　Prince　de　Joinville　had
  nothing　to　complain　of　during　the　voyage；　which　terminated　happily
  by　the　arrival　of　the　〃Belle　Poule〃　at　Cherbourg；　on　the　30th　of
  November；　at　five　o'clock　in　the　morning。　　A　telegraph　made　the　glad
  news　known　at　Paris；　where　the　Minister　of　the　Interior；　Tanneguy…
  Duchatel　（you　will　read　the　name；　Madam；　in　the　old　Anglo…French
  wars）；　had　already　made　〃immense　preparations〃　for　receiving　the
  body　of　Napoleon。
  The　entry　was　fixed　for　the　15th　of　December。
  On　the　8th　of　December　at　Cherbourg　the　body　was　transferred　from
  the　〃Belle　Poule〃　frigate　to　the　〃Normandie〃　steamer。　　On　which
  occasion　the　mayor　of　Cherbourg　deposited；　in　the　name　of　his　town；
  a　gold　laurel　branch　upon　the　coffinwhich　was　saluted　by　the　forts
  and　dykes　of　the　place　with　ONE　THOUSAND　GUNS！　　There　was　a　treat
  for　the　inhabitants。
  There　was　on　board　the　steamer　a　splendid　receptacle　for　the　coffin：
  〃a　temple　with　twelve　pillars　and　a　dome　to　cover　it　from　the　wet
  and　moisture；　surrounded　with　velvet　hangings　and　silver　fringes。
  At　the　head　was　a　gold　cross；　at　the　foot　a　gold　lamp：　other　lamps
  were　kept　constantly　burning　within；　and　vases　of　burning　incense
  were　hung　around。　　An　altar；　hung　with　velvet　and　silver；　was　at　the
  mizzen…mast　of　the　vessel；　AND　FOUR　SILVER　EAGLES　AT　EACH　CORNER　OF
  THE　ALTAR。〃　　It　was　a　compliment　at　once　to　Napoleon　andexcuse　me
  for　saying　so；　but　so　the　facts　areto　Napoleon　and　to　God　Almighty。
  Three　steamers；　the　〃Normandie；〃　the　〃Veloce；〃　and　the　〃Courrier；〃
  formed　the　expedition　from　Cherbourg　to　Havre；　at　which　place　they
  arrived　on　the　evening　of　the　9th　of　December；　and　where　the
  〃Veloce〃　was　replaced　by　the　Seine　steamer；　having　in　tow　one　of　the
  state…coasters；　which　was　to　fire　the　salute　at　the　moment　when　the
  body　was　transferred　into　one　of　the　vessels　belonging　to　the　Seine。
  The　expedition　passed　Havre　the　same　night；　and　came　to　anchor　at
  Val　de　la　Haye　on　the　Seine；　three　leagues　below　Rouen。
  Here　the　next　morning　（10th）；　it　was　met　by　the　flotilla　of
  steamboats　of　the　Upper　Seine；　consisting　of　the　three　〃Dorades；〃
  the　three　〃Etoiles；〃　the　〃Elbeuvien；〃　the　〃Pansien；〃　the
  〃Parisienne；〃　and　the　〃Zampa。〃　　The　Prince　de　Joinville；　and　the
  persons　of　the　expedition；　embarked　immediately　in　the　flotilla；
  which　arrived　the　same　day　at　Rouen。
  At　Rouen　salutes　were　fired；　the　National　Guard　on　both　sides　of　the
  river　paid　military　honors　to　the　body；　and　over　the　middle　of　the
  suspension…bridge　a　magnificent　cenotaph　was　erected；　decorated　with
  flags；　fasces；　violet　hangings；　and　the　imperial　arms。　　Before　the
  cenotaph　the　expedition　stopped；　and　the　absolution　was　given　by　the
  archbishop　and　the　clergy。　　After　a　couple　of　hours'　stay；　the
  expedition　proceeded　to　Pont　de　l'Arche。　　On　the　11th　it　reached
  Vernon；　on　the　12th　Mantes；　on　the　13th　Maisons…sur…Seine。
  〃Everywhere；〃　says　the　official　account　from　which　the　above
  particulars　are　borrowed；　〃the　authorities；　the　National　Guard；　and
  the　people　flocked　to　the　passage　of　the　flotilla；　desirous　to
  render　the　honors　due　to　his　glory；　which　is　the　glory　of　France。
  In　seeing　its　hero　return；　the　nation　seemed　to　have　found　its
  Palladium　again；the　sainted　relics　of　victory。〃
  At　length；　on　the　14th；　the　coffin　was　transferred　from　the　〃Dorade〃
  steamer　on　board　the　imperial　vessel　arrived　from　Paris。　　In　the
  evening；　the　imperial　vessel　arrived　at　Courbevoie；　which　was　the
  last　stage　of　the　journey。
  Here　it　was　that　M。　Guizot　went　to　examine　the　vessel；　and　was　very
  nearly　flung　into　the　Seine；　as　report　goes；　by　the　patriots
  assembled　there。　　It　is　now　lying　on　the　river；　near　the　Invalides；
  amidst　the　drifting　ice；　whither　the　people　of　Paris　are　flocking
  out　to　see　it。
  The　vessel　is　of　a　very　elegant　antique　form；　and　I　can　give　you　on
  the　Thames　no　better　idea　of　it　than　by　requesting　you　to　fancy　an
  immense　wherry；　of　which　the　stern　has　been　cut　straight　off；　and　on
  which　a　temple　on　steps　has　been　elevated。　　At　the　figure…head　is　an
  immense　gold　eagle；　and　at　the　stern　is　a　little　terrace；　filled
  with　evergreens　and　a　profusion　of　banners。　　Upon　pedestals　along
  the　sides　of　the　vessel　are　tripods　in　which　incense　was　burned；　and
  underneath　them　are　garlands　of　flowers　called　here　〃immortals。〃
  Four　eagles　surmount　the　temple；　and　a　great　scroll　or　garland；　held
  in　their　beaks；　surrounds　it。　　It　is　hung　with　velvet　and　gold；　four
  gold　caryatides　support　the　entry　of　it；　and　in　the　midst；　upon　a
  large　platform　hung　with　velvet；　and　bearing　the　imperial　arms；
  stood　the　coffin。　　A　steamboat；　carrying　two　hundred　musicians
  playing　funereal　marches　and　military　symphonies；　preceded　this
  magnificent　vessel　to　Courbevoie；　where　a　funereal　temple　was
  erected；　and　〃a　statue　of　Notre　Dame　de　Grace；　before　which　the
  seamen　of　the　'Belle　Poule'　inclined　themselves；　in　order　to　thank
  her　for　having　granted　them　a　noble　and　glorious　voyage。〃
  Early　on　the　morning　of　the　15th　December；　amidst　clouds　of　incense；
  and　thunder　of　cannon；　and　innumerable　shouts　of　people；　the　coffin
  was　transferred　from　the　barge；　and　carried　by　the　seamen　of　the
  〃Belle　Poule〃　to　the　Imperial　Car。
  And；　now　having　conducted　our　hero　almost　to　the　gates　of　Paris；　I
  must　tell　you　what　preparations　were　made　in　the　capital　to　receive
  him。
  Ten　days　before　the　arrival　of　the　body；　as　you　walked　across　the
  Deputies'　Bridge；　or　over　the　Esplanade　of　the　Invalides；　you　saw　on
  the　bridge　eight；　on　the　esplanade　thirty…two；　mysterious　boxes
  erected；　wherein　a　couple　of　score　of　sculptors　were　at　work　night
  and　day。
  In　the　middle　of　the　Invalid　Avenue；　there　used　to　stand；　on　a　kind
  of　shabby　fountain　or　pump；　a　bust　of　Lafayette；　crowned　with　some
  dirty　wreaths　of　〃immortals；〃　and　looking　down　at　the　little
  streamlet　which　occasionally　dribbled　below　him。　　The　spot　of　ground
  was　now　clear；　and　Lafayette　and　the　pump　had　been　consigned　to　some
  cellar；　to　make　way　for　the　mighty　procession　that　was　to　pass　over
  the　place　of　their　habitation。
  Strange　coincidence！　　If　I　had　been　Mr。　Victor　Hugo；　my　dear；　or　a
  poet　of　any　note；　I　would；　in　a　few　hours；　have　made　an　impromptu
  concerning　that　Lafayette…crowned　pump；　and　compared　its　lot　now　to
  the　fortune　of　its　patron　some　fifty　years　back。　　From　him　then
  issued；　as　from　his　fountain　now；　a　feeble　dribble　of　pure　words；
  then；　as　now；　some　faint　circles　of　disciples　were　willing　to　admire
  him。　　Certainly　in　the　midst　of　the　war　and　storm　without；　this　pure
  fount　of　eloquence　went　dribbling；　dribbling　on；　till　of　a　sudden
  the　revolutionary　workmen　knocked　down　statue　and　fountain；　and　the
  gorgeous　imperial　cavalcade　trampled　over　the　spot　where　they　stood。
  As　for　the　Champs　Elysees；　there　was　no　end　to　the　preparations；　the
  first　day　you　saw　a　couple　of　hundred　scaffoldings　erected　at
  intervals　between　the　handsome　gilded　gas…lamps　that　at　present
  ornament　that　avenue；　next　day；　all　these　scaffoldings　were　filled
  with　brick　and　mortar。　　Presently；　over　the　bricks　and　mortar　rose
  pediments　of　statues；　legs　of　urns；　legs　of　goddesses；　legs　and
  bodies　of　goddesses；　legs；　bodies；　and　busts　of　goddesses。　　Finally；
  on　the　13th　December；　goddesses　complete。　　On　the　14th　they　were
  painted　marble…color；　and　the　basements　of　wood　and　canvas　on　which
  they　stood　were　made　to　resemble　the　same　costly　material。　　The
  funereal　urns　were　ready　to　receive　the　frankincense　and　precious
  odors　which　were　to　burn　in　them。　　A　vast　number　of　white　columns
  stretched　down　the　avenue；　each　bearing　a　bronze　buckler　on　which
  was　written；　in　gold　letters；　one　of　the　victories　of　the　Emperor；
  and　each　decorated　with　enormous　imperial　flags。　　On　these　columns
  golden　eagles　were　placed；　and　the　newspapers　did　not　fail　to　remark
  the　ingenious　position　in　which　the　royal　birds　had　been　set：　for
  while　those　on　the　right…hand　side　of　the　way　had　their　heads　turned
  TOWARDS　the　procession；　as　if　to　watch　its　coming；　those　on　the　left
  were　looking　exactly　the　other　way；　as　if　to　regard　its　progress。
  Do　not　fancy　I　am　joking：　this　point　was　gravely　and　emphatically
  urged　in　many　newspapers；　and　I　do　believe　no　mortal　Frenchman　ever
  thought　it　anything　but　sublime。
  Do　not　interrupt　me；　sweet　Miss　Smith。　　I　feel　that　you　are　angry。
  I　can　see　from　here　the　pouting　of　your　lips；　and　know　what　you　are
  going　to　say。　　You　are　going　to　say；　〃I　will　read　no　more　of　this
  Mr。　Titmarsh；　there　is　no　subject；　however　solemn；　but　he　treats　it
  with　flippant