第9部分(第2/7 頁)

as　able　to　be　of　service　to　her　in　her　later　life　—　and　subsequently；　with　my　wife；　who　had　bee　her　friend　many　years　before；　was　one　of　the　few　mourners　at　her　funeral。　At　the　church　where　this　took　place　it　is　the　custom　to　carry　out　coffins　through　the　big　western　door。　As　I　followed　hers　the　general　aspect　of　the　arch　of　this　door　reminded　me　of　something；　at　the　moment　I　could　not　remember　what。　Then　it　came　back　to　me。　It　was　exactly　like　that　other　arch　through　which　I　had　followed　her　to　her　carriage　on　the　night　when　first　we　met。　Also；　strangely　different　as　were　the　surroundings；　there　were　accessories；　floral　and　other；　that　were　similar　in　their　general　effect。

I　think　I　was　about　a　year　and　a　half　at　Scoones’；　making　many　friends；　collecting　many　experiences　and　some　knowledge　of　the　world。　How　much　book　knowledge　I　collected　I　do　not　know；　nor　whether　I　should　have　passed　for　the　Foreign　Office　if　I　had　gone　up。　But　it　was　not　fated　that　I　should　do　so。　In　the　summer　vacation　of　1875　I　went　to　join　my　family；　whom；　in　the　course　of　one　of　his　continual　expeditions；　my　father　had　settled　for　a　while　at　Tours。　I　travelled　via　Paris；　which　I　found　looking　almost　itself　again。　On　the　last　occasion　that　I　had　visited　it　the　Column　Vendome　was　lying　shattered　on　the　ground；　the　public　statues　were　splashed　over　with　the　lead　of　bullets；　and　great　burnt…out　buildings　stared　at　me　emptily。　I　remembered　a　young　Frenchman　whom　I　knew　taking　me　to　a　spot　backed　by　a　high　wall　where　shortly　before　he　had　seen；　I　think　he　said；　300　munists　executed　at　once。　He　told　me　that　the　soldiers　fired　into　the　moving　heap　until　at　length　it　grew　still。　On　the　wall　were　the　marks　of　their　bullets。

At　Tours　I　did　not　live　with　my　family；　but　with　an　old　French　profe