was on a mare, which fact brought difficulty on poor Rosinante during
the march past. In the evening there was a great ball in a huge
temporary shed, with tiers of seats all round it. All of a sudden half
the tiers collapsed, like cards, and all the ladies were to be seen,
though almost unhurt, on their backs with their legs in the air, amidst
a most awful dust! I must confess we ungallantly seized the opportunity
of the confusion to go off to our beds. The King, too, did the same,
thus escaping from the persecutions of the Polish refugees, interned at
Falaise, who had come to the ball in lancer uniforms worthy of the
merry-andrews at the opera balls, to pester him with their petitions.




CHAPTER III

1834-1836


My technical education recommenced more vigorously than ever when this
journey was over. It had been decided that before being definitely
placed on the Navy List I must pass my public examination as a first-
class pupil at Brest. So I was prepared accordingly, and received those
successive doses of instruction which the English designate by the
characteristic word "cramming," for which the only French equivalent I
can find is "gaver." My mathematical teacher held a class for a limited
number of youths in a house in the Rue Git-le-Coeur, and thither I went,
to gain the habit of speaking the language of algebra in public. In
contrast to my memories of school lessons, I have the pleasantest
recollections of those I received in that den--for den it was! This,