The following day, the concierge at their hôtel had arranged for a tour at a watchmakers’, where persons of all ages and both sexes were busily employed. The Darcys concluded the afternoon by exploring about the town. The shops were very good, and the Genevois more generally reserved than the French, but very clean, elegant, and urbane. They drove out to La Jonction, where the azure waters of the Rhône meet the River Arve somewhat west of the city; it was a most curious sight as the waters from each flow side-by-side for some distance without mixing, the former of a bright blue, and the latter of a grayish colour, and of a greater contrast than were the waters of the Gironde. There was a great appearance of rain, and, still a bit fatigued, the Darcys returned to the hôtel at an hour earlier than usual, took supper, and retired, being engaged to dine away from the city in the village of Annemasse the following day. This proved fortunate, as early in the evening a violent storm broke out. The vivid and frequent lightening produced extraordinarily long peals of thunder that echoed off the surrounding mountains, making a frightful noise. In the morning, the air of the lake was very pure, and the towns opposite Geneva along the vast lake could be seen, although more than twelve leagues away.

CHAP. 8.

THEIR DAYS IN THE ENVIRONS of Geneva were spent in day-travels to the other principal sights of Lake Geneva: Lausanne, Thonon-les-Bains, Yvoire, Evian, &c. Georgiana made use of her sketch-book, and Mr. Darcy noted the various trees, geological wonders, the types of birds and fish to be seen, whilst Elizabeth assisted Georgiana by pointing out the various peculiar costumes of the natives and their habitations. The lofty mountaintops encircling Geneva were dense with forests of pines, beech, oak, hickory and other valuable woods. The meadows lower down contained lush pasturage and great sweeping vineyards; across the lake, the snow-capped peaks of Mount Blanc and the Rhône alps provided a background of almost unimaginable beauty for reminiscences of Julie, which Mr. Darcy read to the ladies in the evenings.

One morning during their stay in Geneva, Elizabeth found Georgiana reading whilst waiting for herself and Mr. Darcy to come down to breakfast. “You are reading Corinne again, Georgiana?” cried Elizabeth. “How many times you must have read that book! I did not know you had brought it with you. I am sure you know that Madame de Staël’s château is close by—should you like to visit?”