festival preparations, and he was received by a crowd of umbrellas. Under
such circumstances enthusiasm was damped and ejaculations of welcome
were muffled. The President occupied an open landau, and drove along the
boulevards without umbrella or waterproof, bowing to right and left in a
slashing rain. A deputation of flower women presented him with a sodden
bouquet, by the hand of a dripping little girl in white that clung to her
as a bathing gown. The President insisted on the maid being lifted to him
into the carriage, where he hugged and kissed her, whilst the moisture ran
out of her garments like a squeezed sponge, and this demonstration provoked
some damp cheers.

I bought Henri Rochefort's paper next day, to see what his correspondent
had to say about the visit. Some passages from it are too racy not to be
quoted.

"Il faisait un temps a ne pas mettre un ministre dehors, lorsque le train
presidentiel est arrive en gare, et le defile a la detrempe etait pitieux
a voir dans _le gargouillement et la transsudation de ce degorgement
cataractal_. Sadi Carnot avait donne l'ordre de laisser son landau
decouvert, afin de recevoir les ovations enthousiastes des parapluies.

"Bref, la Presidence est arrivee a la prefecture _trempee comme une soupe a
l'oignon et fortement dessalee_."

Verily there is no tongue like the French for saying nasty things in a
nasty way.

I do not know whether it is fair for one to pass an opinion on a man from
a sight of his face overrun with rain-water, and with his nose acting like
a shoot from a roof; but certainly the impression produced on me by M.