will certainly never come up to it.

The fair, you have perhaps heard, is held on a wide open ground between
the Rhone and the castle rock. This space was covered with streets of
booths and sheds, in which all kinds of merchandise were displayed.
The river was choked with heavily-freighted barges. As for the streets,
they were hung from their upper windows with the richest tapestries;
silks, damasks, velvets, and goldsmiths' work were displayed in the
richest abundance; the most costly valuables exposed, almost at the
mercy of jostling wayfarers; banners flaunting overhead, and casting
fleeting shadows beneath. Languages of all nations mingled in strange
medley--German, Spanish, Italian, Turkish, Arabic, Russian. Ah, it was
like a dream!

My uncle Nicolas received us most heartily; and, while my father and
M. Bourdinave went about their affairs, I had the pleasing charge of the
women, and showing them what was to be seen. My mother, with a child
in each hand, Madeleine and I, each with another child, Gabrielle and
old Alice close behind us, formed such a phalanx that we made way for
ourselves, or had it made for us, wherever we went, and saw everything
we wanted to see. We even saw the dentist, and Alice would not be foiled
this time, but almost thrust herself on his notice. He made her sit on
the ground, put her head between his knees and dragged out the tooth by
main force. She screamed horribly, and said, "You engaged to give no
pain!" "To myself," said he, "but I could not engage for you." So there
was the laugh against her. However, the tooth was out, and he generously
gave it to her; so we walked away laughing.