**  But  where  do  the  poorest  amongst  you  live  ?"  was  more  than
once  demanded  ;  and  some  tattered  ciceroni,  expecting  a  franc  for
his  trouble,  would  lead  us  into  more  houses  and  cellars,  fac  similes
of  those  we  had  left.  Occasionally  we  met  touching  cases  of
hardship,  where  sickness  or  death  had  lent  its  terrible  aggrava
tion;  but  nowhere  did  we  find  those  spectacles  of  revolting
wretchedness  that  made  the  heart  sick  with  horror.
All  had  food,  however  scanty;  but  the  culinary  skill  of  the
French  never  deserts  them,  and  more  than  once  I  tasted  the
bouillon  on  the  fire,  and  found  it  highly  palatable.  After  visiting
many  of  the  famous  caves  sous  terre  (cellars  underground),  I
remember  exclaiming  that  I  would  prefer  a  residence  in  any  one  of
them,  a  hundred  times  over,  to  the  apartment  of  Prince  Louis,  in  the
dreary  citadel  of  Ham,  and  I  little  dreamt  at  the  time  that  I  was
destined  ere  the  year  was  out  to  occupy  something  far  less  in
habitable.
"  Eh  bien"  said  the  Prince  to  me  frequently,  as  well  as  his
brother  members,  "  what  do  you  think  of  this  ?"  for  coming  as  T
did  from  a  new  country,  said  to  be  without  poor,  they  were
naturally  curious  to  know  how  I  was  impressed  with  what  I
had  seen.
"  Frankly,  gentlemen,"  I  replied,  "  my  mind  is  greatly  relieved  j


172  A   TRIP   TO   LILLE.
