THE "INDUSTRIOUS FLEAS."
267
elapsed before they could all be gathered together and pre-
pared to return. Their frightful yells had started up all
the rabhits that were unburrowed in the forests ; and whilst
hundreds were bounding about, and many taking to the
open fields for escape, they encompassed one, and with their
united screams had scared it to death. This they assured
us was the case, as they brought it in by the legs, without
the mark of any weapon upon it.
Few scenes in Paris, if any, had pleased them more than
this, and in their subsequent drives they repeatedly paid
their visits to the " woods of Boulogne."
On their return home poor Jim lay down, complaining
very much of lameness from his hard ride on Franconi's
horse, which he knew would prevent him from dancing for
some days, as he was getting very stiff, and afraid he would
not be well enough to go and see the " Industrious Fleas "
(as they were called), where he and the Doctor and Jeffrey
had arranged to go with Daniel and several young Ameri-
can acquaintance, who had decided it to be one of the
choicest little sights then to be seen in Paris, and which
from all accounts is an exhibition of female nudities in living
groups, ringing all the changes on attitude and action
for the amusement of the lookers-on. There was a great
deal of amusing conversation about this very popular exhi-
bition, but in this poor Jim and the Doctor reluctantly sub-
mitted to disappointment when Mr. Melody very properly
objected to their going to see it.
Jim had laid himself on his back at this time, and, not
feeling in the best of humour, began in a tirade of abuse
of the Frenchwomen, of whom he and the Doctor had seen
more perhaps on the previous evening in the Jardin Mabille
in the Champs Elysées, and the masquerade in the Grand
Opera House, than they had seen since they entered Paris.
Their enterprise on that evening had taken place after
their exhibition had closed, when Jim and the Doctor started
with Jeffrey and Daniel and two or three friends who were
pledged to take care of them.    It was on Sunday evening,