Directlybeforeit，however，tohisconsternation，werethemassive，buttimeworn，irongatesofapark，whichDickdidnotdoubtwastheoneinwhichhehadspentthepreviousnight。Butitwasimpossibletogofurtherinhispresentplight，andheboldlyapproachedtherestaurant。Ashewaspreparingtomakehisusualexplanatorysigns，tohisgreatdelighthewasaddressedinaquaint，brokenEnglish，mixedwithforgottenAmericanslang，bythewhite—trousered，black—alpacacoatedproprietor。Morethanthat——
hewasaSocialDemocratandanenthusiasticloverofAmerica——hadhenotbeento\"Bos—town\"andNewYork，andpenetratedasfarwestas\"Booflo，\"andhadmuchpleasureinthatbeautifulandfreecountry？Yes！itwasa\"go—a—’ed\"country——you\"bet—your—lif’。\"
Onehadreasontosayso：therewasyourelectricity——yourstreetcars——your\"steambots\"——ah！suchsteambots——andyour\"r—rail—r—
roads。\"Ah！observe！compareyourr—rail—r—roadsandthebuffetofthePullmanwiththelinefromParis，forexample——andwhereisone？Nowhere！Actually，positively，withoutdoubt，nowhere！
Later，atanappetizingbreakfast——atwhich，toDick’sgreatsatisfaction，thegoodmanhadpermittedandcongratulatedhimselftositattablewithafree—bornAmerican——hewasevenmoreloquacious。Forwhatthen，hewouldask，wasthisincompetence，thisimbecility，ofFrance？Hewouldtell。ItwasthevilecorruptionofParis，thegraspingofcapitalandcompanies，thefatalinfluenceofthestillclingingnoblesse，andtheinsidiousJesuiticalpowerofthepriests。Asforexample，Monsieur\"theBooflo—bil\"haddoubtlessnoticedthegreatgatesoftheparkbeforethecafe？Itwasthepreserve，——thehunting—parkofoneoftheoldgrandseigneurs，stillkeptupbyhisdescendants，theComtesdeFontonelles——hundredsofacresthathadneverbeentilled，andkeptaswildwastewilderness，——keptforaday’spleasureinayear！And，lookyou！thepeasantsstarvingarounditswallsintheirsmallgardenpatchesandpinchedfarms！AndthepresentComtedeFontonellescascadinggoldonhismistressesinParis；andtheComtesse，hismother，andherdaughterlivingtheretofeedandfattenandpensionabroodofplotting，black—cowledpriests。Ah，bah！wherewasyourRepublicanFrance，then？Butatimewouldcome。The\"Booflo—bil\"had，withoutdoubt，noticed，ashecamealongtheroad，thebreachesinthewallofthepark？