The _concierge_ at our hotel, (he who knew four words of English), was a distinct character. He would often come up to our room after _table d'hôte_ for a chat, on the pretence of making up our already glowing log fire. But whenever a bell rang he would instantly stop talking and cock his ears to hear if it were two peals or one, for two peals were _his_ summons, and one only the chambermaid's. Before we left we added to his stock of English, and it was a performance during the hearing of which no one could have kept grave. "_Ah, c'est difficile_," he exclaimed after trying ineffectually to achieve a correct pronunciation: "_Pad-dool you-r-y-owe carnoo!_" He told us that, as a rule, a _concierge_ was paid only fifty francs, but sometimes he got as much as 250 francs a month in _pourboires_ from the guests in the hotel. A _femme de chambre_ would make twenty-five francs a month at a hotel. Neither _concierge_ nor _femme de chambre_ would be given more than eight days' notice if sent away. At this hotel he had no room to himself, no seat even (we often found him sitting on the stairs in the evening) and up most nights until half-past twelve, and yet he had to rise up and be at work, each morning by half-past five. In the summer months it seemed the custom to go further south to some hotel or other, guests spending half the year at one place, and half at another. Illustration: GUJAN-MESTRAS, Huts of the Fishermen, and "Parcheurs" (Oyster Catchers). [_Page 61._ CHAPTER IV By far the most interesting village in the neighbourhood of Arcachon, is Gujan-Mestras. Gujan-Mestras is the centre of the oyster fishery, and that of the royan, which is a species of sardine. Nearly all royans indeed are caught there. The _patois_ of the _parcheurs_ and _parcheuses_ (oyster catchers) we were told, is partly Spanish. They can talk our informant said, very good French, but when any strangers are present they talk a sort of Spanish _patois_. "For instance, _une fille_ would be _la hille_," he explained. "The Spaniards talk very slowly, as do the Italians; it is only _les Anglais qui, je trouve, parlent très vite_." The oysters of Gujan-Mestras are of worldwide renown. Among others, it will be remembered, Rabelais praised highly the oysters of the Bassin d'Arcachon. And indeed, it cannot fail to be one of the most important places for oyster-culture and the breeding ground of the young oyster, considering what the annual production is--more than a million of oysters, young, middle-aged, and infants under age.