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Rh The palace of St. Cloud has been burnt down, but the gardens and avenues are of course as beautiful as in the days of their glory. We stopped here only two hours and then went to Verseilles.

The magnificent palace of Verseilles was built by Louis XIV., the most powerful of the kings of France. Verseilles is now the seat of Government, and so the palace apartments were all occupied, as offices, &c. We managed however to get into the "National Assembly" and to the interior of the palace occupied as it was. We went from room to room beautifully decorated and filled with the finest pictures portraying the glories of France. The rooms are spacious and splendid and overlook a fine garden. The Verseilles gardens are noted far and wide, and are said to be the most beautiful in the world. Beautiful walks, shady avenues, fountains and ornamental waters, curious grottos, and secluded seats, all combine to make the garden a fairy land.

In the evening we met with a most curious adventure! When we came to the railway station to book for Paris, we were required by a Police officer to shew our passport. We did so and he seemed to be satisfied. Soon after however he came up to us and asked us to follow him to the guard-house to have our passport examined! I believe our foreign costume had aroused his suspicions, and he took us for communists! He seemed to be polite enough and informed us on our way to the guard-house that Paris and Verseilles swarmed with