It was at some
distance from the hotel; but Madelon repeated that she was not
at all tired, and would like a long walk, so they set off
together in the mild September evening. To their left lay the
old town with its picturesque churches, its quaint old
Bishop's palace, its tall chimneys and busy quays, and
wharves, and warehouses, stretching along the river banks; but
all this they left on one side as they went along the wide,
tree-planted boulevards, where carriages were rolling, and
lamps lighting, and people walking about in the ruddy glow;
and presently these too were passed by, and they came out on
the dusty high-road. A few scattered houses were still to
their right hand and to their left; but the city, with its
cloud of smoke, its kindling lights and ceaseless movement,
was behind them now. Of all its restless stir no sound reached
them through the soft twilight but the chime of bells from its
many towers, which rang out the evening angelus just as they
saw, standing on the summit of a gentle slope to their left, a
building with steep grey slate roofs and belfry, rising above
low white surrounding walls, and knew that they had reached
their destination.
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