that I take wine or raisins for breakfast, and never speak to a peasant
without raising my hat.... This _vin ordinaire_ is not 'bad,' in the sense
of intoxicating, but in another way. However, if it supplies the place of
tea, it is vain to rail at it."

The next entry is while they were staying at Marseilles on 13th October,
and concerns the cheapness of the provisions.

"All provisions appear within reach of the poorest. I have been in some
very low eating-houses here, and perceive apparently poor people breakfast
on meat. Nothing seems dear but milk and butter; we get none but goats'
milk here.... The finest purple grapes are here 1d. or 3/4d. a pound, and
as much bread as I can eat for 1-1/2d.... I had a provoking accident at
Beziers. On our leaving the barge, the carman drove off without securing
our boxes--he was in a violent passion against some girl porters (a
domestic institution of Beziers).... I roared out, 'Arretez! Arriere! Vous
n'avez pas attache la corde!' But in vain; and in an instant down came
from the very top the little medicine chest given me by M----. It fell on
its corner, which saved the glass bottles; but every dovetailing is
broken, the hinges wrenched off, the panels split."

Of course the travelling is chiefly by diligence and canal boat, and for
English ladies very often terribly rough and trying. But Mrs. and Miss
Cronin had resolved to face discomforts, etc., equally with their
companions, and would have no little ameliorations in the way of comforts
for themselves.

One great danger, too, occurred, from which they were only rescued by the
promptitude of Newman and Mr. Parnell (as throughout the diary Newman
alludes to Lord Congleton). Once, in travelling by canal near Marseilles,