The long gallery connecting it with
the Tuileries, which enabled the monarch to pass freely from his city
palace to his country house, especially challenged their admiration;
with its magnificent sculptures, its historical bas-reliefs and
ornamented cornices, its fretted stonework, fine columns and pilasters,
it rivalled the renowned triumphs of the best Greek and Roman
architects. Beyond the gardens of the Tuileries, where the city ended,
stood the Porte de la Conference, and along the river bank, outside of
it, were the trees of Cours-la-Reine, the favourite promenade of the
fashionable world, which was thronged of an afternoon with gay and
luxurious equipages. The two banks, which we have thus hastily sketched,
framed in the most animated scene imaginable; the river being covered
with boats of all sorts and descriptions, coming and going, crossing and
recrossing, while at the quay, beside the Louvre, lay the royal barges,
rich with carving and gilding, and gay with bright-coloured awnings, and
near at hand rose the historic towers of Saint Germain l'Auxerrois.
After gazing silently for a long time at this splendid view, de Sigognac
turned away reluctantly at his companion's instance, and joined the
little crowd already gathered round the "Samaritan," waiting to see the
bronze figure surmounting the odd little hydraulic edifice strike the
hour with his hammer on the bell of the clock.
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