"These white stones," M. VESQUIER. explains, "mark the boundaries of different properties." Odd! The plain is cut up into little patches, and champagne-growers, like knowing birds, have popped down, on "here a bit and there a bit and everywhere a bit" from time to time, so that one headstone records the fact that "here lies the property of J.M.," and within a few feet is another headstone "sacred to the memory of P. and G.," or P. without the G.; then removed but a step or two is a stone with a single "A." on it. and a short distance from the road is "H."--poor letter "H" apparently dropped for ever. Here lie "M.," and "M. and C.," and several other heroes whose names recall many a glorious champagne. And so on, and so on; the initials recurring again quite unexpectedly, the plots of ground held by the same proprietor being far apart. But, as it suddenly occurs to me, if these champagne-growers are all in the same plains for twenty miles or more round about, all in much the same position, and all the grapes apparently the same, why isn't it all the same wine? "_Karascho!_" exclaims DAUBINET, who, under the hot rays of the early morning sun, is walking in his shirt-sleeves, his coat over his arm, his hat in one hand, and a big sunshade in the other, "I will tell you." Then he commences, and except for now and then breaking off into Russian expletives, and interspersing his discourse with selections from British national melodies, his explanation is lucid, and the reasons evident. Soil and sun account for everything; the soil being varied, and the sun shifty. "_Pou ni my? comprenez-vous?_" he asks. [Illustration: "Da Karascho! All r-r-right!"] I do perfectly, at the moment; but subsequently trying to explain the phenomena scientifically, I find that I have not quite penetrated the mystery _au fond_. We visit the Wine-press, which (_Happy Thought!_) would be an appropriate title for a journal devoted entirely to the wine-growing and wine-vending interests. "And now," says M. le Vicomte, "we must return to breakfast, or the sun will be too strong for us."