152
AN ADVENTURE
work in the different parts of the gardens;[1] and on her way from the Temple de l'Amour to the Hameau, she had passed the prairie, and had seen two labourers in their picturesque brown tunics and coloured chaperons rouges[2] filling a hired cart with sticks.[3]
Crossing the Vergelay bridge she had approached the cavernous mouth of her favourite grotto,[4] over which ivy fell in graceful wreaths.[5] For the first time in her experience
- ↑ The wages book shows that all the gardeners were at work out of doors on Oct. 5th, 1789, whereas on wet days they worked under cover, sometimes clearing out the passages of the house, Arch Nat. O1, 1879.
- ↑ This was the dress of the bourgeoisie in the 14th century. See illustration of 14th century play Pathelin. Artisans wore it in the 17th century. See Les Foires des Rues de Paris. Musée Carnavalet. It was probably worn by field labourers up to the Revolution.
- ↑ There is no mention of a cart and horse as part of the regular expenses at the Ferme, but from time to time "une voiture à un cheval, et un conducteur" were hired for picking up sticks in the Park. Jan., 1789, there is an entry for paying "plus un homme" for that purpose; and on Oct. 4th, 1789, we read of the hiring of "trois journées de voiture et deux chevaux" (almost necessarily requiring two men) (O1, 1843).
- ↑ See old picture by L'Espinasse, 1783. In Mique's map (1783) two grottos are indicated, one close to the rocher bridge, on the left of it coming from the Hameau, and one near the Escargot hill, still to be seen to-day.
- ↑ May 28th, 1781. . . . Out attachés le lierre de la grotte (O1, 1875).
