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Article THE LUCKY INHERITANCE. ← Page 10 of 19 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Lucky Inheritance.
by high Avails of granite , which might be splintered by ninetyeight pounders , but can never be crumbled by Time . These Avails are encircled by broad and deep ditches filled with Avater , and at each of the cardinal points is a massive round tower , pierced with arroAV slits and machicolated , forming the gates of the toAvn . They are approached bdraAV-brid whichif
y ges , , need Avere , could still be raised ; and over each dark archway are still Aasible the enormous rings that used to sustain the portcullis , — the only thing that has disappeared , probably because it Avas just portable . At the sight of so feudal a city , I fully expected to have been encountered on the draw-bridge by , at leasta man-at-armsAvith corslethelmand —but in
, , , , spear , his stead , stood a private soldier of the 32 nd of the line , Avith his hands crossed upon the muzzle of his grounded firelock , and idly gazing at some urchins AVIIO were fishing in the moat . He tinned his head and stared at the patache as it went by , but made no question of opposition . Not so , hoAvever , a gigantic gendarmewho came out from under the archAvayand Avho
, , , having evidently had nothing to do all day , proposed to himself the recreation of examining my passport . " At which hotel did I mean to descend ? " he asked me ; " at the ' Pelican , ' the ' Green Cross , ' or the ' Three Trumpets V The passport should be forAvarded to me Avhen the authorities had ascertained that it was perfectly ere regie . "
As I had no choice in the matter , I inquired of Jannik AA'hich was the best hotel of those the functionary had named . He said they ivere all equally fine , but thought that , perhaps , the " Pelican" would suit me best , as it stood in the marketplace , which , besides being in the centre of the toAvn , was " gayer" than any other part , so I accepted his recommendation ,
handed my passport to the gendarme , exchanged salutes AA'ith him , and drove on . After toiling through several narrow , crooked , steep , and very dark streets , we emerged into sunshine , and found ourselves on comparatively level ground . We had reached the market-place , that very gay part of the town for Avhich Jannik had so considerately prepared me , though I must say that
his notions of gaiety were very different from mine . What Guerande may chance to be on a market-day , I have no means of knoAving , as I happened to arrive there on a Monday ; and the grand gathering of vegetables , fruit , poultry , and their producers , takes place only on Saturday . Instead , then , of Avhat I suppose might have met my view , had Guerande been like any other town in France , instead of the rich varieties of colour , the animation of perpetual movement , the shrill clamour of ceaseless voices , the mirth , the laughter , the music , the
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Lucky Inheritance.
by high Avails of granite , which might be splintered by ninetyeight pounders , but can never be crumbled by Time . These Avails are encircled by broad and deep ditches filled with Avater , and at each of the cardinal points is a massive round tower , pierced with arroAV slits and machicolated , forming the gates of the toAvn . They are approached bdraAV-brid whichif
y ges , , need Avere , could still be raised ; and over each dark archway are still Aasible the enormous rings that used to sustain the portcullis , — the only thing that has disappeared , probably because it Avas just portable . At the sight of so feudal a city , I fully expected to have been encountered on the draw-bridge by , at leasta man-at-armsAvith corslethelmand —but in
, , , , spear , his stead , stood a private soldier of the 32 nd of the line , Avith his hands crossed upon the muzzle of his grounded firelock , and idly gazing at some urchins AVIIO were fishing in the moat . He tinned his head and stared at the patache as it went by , but made no question of opposition . Not so , hoAvever , a gigantic gendarmewho came out from under the archAvayand Avho
, , , having evidently had nothing to do all day , proposed to himself the recreation of examining my passport . " At which hotel did I mean to descend ? " he asked me ; " at the ' Pelican , ' the ' Green Cross , ' or the ' Three Trumpets V The passport should be forAvarded to me Avhen the authorities had ascertained that it was perfectly ere regie . "
As I had no choice in the matter , I inquired of Jannik AA'hich was the best hotel of those the functionary had named . He said they ivere all equally fine , but thought that , perhaps , the " Pelican" would suit me best , as it stood in the marketplace , which , besides being in the centre of the toAvn , was " gayer" than any other part , so I accepted his recommendation ,
handed my passport to the gendarme , exchanged salutes AA'ith him , and drove on . After toiling through several narrow , crooked , steep , and very dark streets , we emerged into sunshine , and found ourselves on comparatively level ground . We had reached the market-place , that very gay part of the town for Avhich Jannik had so considerately prepared me , though I must say that
his notions of gaiety were very different from mine . What Guerande may chance to be on a market-day , I have no means of knoAving , as I happened to arrive there on a Monday ; and the grand gathering of vegetables , fruit , poultry , and their producers , takes place only on Saturday . Instead , then , of Avhat I suppose might have met my view , had Guerande been like any other town in France , instead of the rich varieties of colour , the animation of perpetual movement , the shrill clamour of ceaseless voices , the mirth , the laughter , the music , the