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Home  »  A Sentimental Journey through France and Italy  »  The Remise. Calais

Laurence Sterne. (1713–1768). A Sentimental Journey through France and Italy.
The Harvard Classics Shelf of Fiction. 1917.

The Remise. Calais

AS the little French captain left us, Monsieur Dessein came up with the key of the Remise in his hand, and forthwith let us into his magazine of chaises.    1
  The first object which caught my eye, as Monsieur Dessein open’d the door of the Remise, was another old tatter’d Desobligeant, and notwithstanding it was the exact picture of that which had hit my fancy so much in the coach-yard but an hour before—the very sight of it stirr’d up a disagreeable sensation within me now; and I thought ’t was a churlish beast into whose heart the idea could first enter, to construct such a machine; nor had I much more charity for the man who could think of using it.    2
  I observed the lady was as little taken with it as myself: so Monsieur Dessein led us on to a couple of chaises which stood abreast, telling us, as he recommended them, that they had been purchased by my Lord A. and B. to go the grand tour, but had gone no further than Paris, so were in all respects as good as new.—They were too good—so I pass’d on to a third, which stood behind, and forthwith began to chaffer for the price.—But ’t will scarce hold two, said I, opening the door and getting in.—Have the goodness, Madam, said Monsieur Dessein, offering his arm, to step in.—The lady hesitated half a second, and stepp’d in; and the waiter that moment beckoning to speak to Monsieur Dessein, he shut the door of the chaise upon us, and left us.    3