He would have liked to linger for hours and
gaze upon that splendid triumph of architecture, but he needs must go
forward with the rest, however reluctantly. The wonderful and unceasing
whirl and confusion in the narrow, crowded streets, through which
they made their way slowly, and not without difficulty, perplexed and
distracted him, accustomed as he had been all his life to the vast
solitude of the Landes, and the deathly stillness that reigned almost
unbroken in his own desolate old chateau; it seemed to him as if a
mill-wheel were running round and round in his head, and he could feel
himself staggering like a drunken man. The Pont-Neuf was soon reached,
and then de Sigognac caught a glimpse of the famous equestrian statue in
bronze of the great and good king, Henri IV, which stands on its lofty
pedestal and seems to be keeping guard over the splendid bridge, with
its ever-rolling stream of foot-passengers, horsemen, and vehicles
of every kind and description, from the superb court carriage to the
huckster's hand-cart; but in a moment it was lost to view, as the
chariot turned into the then newly opened Rue Dauphine. In this street
was a fine big hotel, frequently patronized by ambassadors from foreign
lands, with numerous retinues; for it was so vast that it could always
furnish accommodations for large parties arriving unexpectedly.
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