speech; and finally, the bells will ring out with such familiar tone
that we can hardly realise that we are in France.[55]

These people are of the labouring class, but they have some money to
'commence life' with; the poorest girls seldom marry without a portion
(indeed, so important is this considered amongst them that there are
societies for providing portions for the unendowed), and they are, with
few exceptions, provident and happy in married life. They are so in the
country at least, in spite of all that has been said and written to the
contrary. A lady who has had five-and-twenty years' acquaintance with
French society, both in town and country, assures us that 'the
stereotyped literary and dramatic view of French married life is
wickedly false.' The corruption of morals, she says, which so generally
prevails in Paris, and which has been so systematically aggravated by
the luxury and extravagance of the second Empire, has emboldened writers
to foist these false pictures of married life on the world.

But we, as travellers, must not enter deeply into these questions; our
business is, as usual, principally with their picturesque aspect. And
there is plenty to see; a few miles from us there is the little town of
Pont l'Evêque; and of course there is a fête going on. Let us glance at
the official programme for the day:--

'At 10 A.M., agricultural and horticultural meetings.

From 11 to 12, musical mass; several pieces to be performed by the
band of the 19th Regiment.

At 12-1/2, meeting of the Orphéonists and other musical societies.