The prices vary so much, that it is wisest for a stranger to enlist the services of some trustworthy native to arrange the purchase, rather than to do the bargaining himself.  Pups from six weeks to three months sell at from ten francs to one hundred, but a really fine specimen of two and a half months ought to be bought for thirty-five francs.  Dogs of six months and upwards are expensive; as much as five hundred francs being asked for them in the season.

As Miss Blunt had a great desire to become the possessor of one of these fluffy creatures, whenever any were seen inquiries were always directed at once with regard to their parentage and price.  Happening to perceive a woolly tail disappearing behind a workshop in the Rue de la Raillere a few hours before we had to start, we passed up a short entry beside the aforementioned workshop, and asked to see the owner of the dogs.  In a few seconds he stood before us, a weather-beaten Frenchman, who, as well as his clothes and his intellect, had seen better days—­a man about five feet six inches high, with face deeply lined; moustache, goatee, and hair, all somewhat sparse and grizzled; a blue berret (the native hat) in his hand; his shirt fastened by a single stud, barely hiding what had been once a brawny chest; his loose trousers half-covered by a leathern apron; and his two coats both threadbare, and decorated with ribands in an equally worn-out state—­such, bowing and smiling as he approached, was the proprietor alike of the dogs and the workshop.  In spite of his poor appearance and idiosyncrasy—­almost approaching to madness—­he had a certain dignity of manner which we could not fail to notice.  But he was very trying to deal with.  Whenever the price was the object of our inquiry, he began in the following strain:  “Very good, very good; which does Monsieur like? which does Ma’m’selle prefer?  The finest of course?  Ah yes, the finest!  Ah, very good; take your choice, Monsieur; take which you please.  The finest dogs in the world!  See! see!  Monsieur” (and here he pointed to the ribands on his breast), “I gained the prize at the Paris Exhibition!—­at the Paris Exhibition!—­the exhibition open to all the world—­I, with the dogs I had brought down from the mountains and bred myself, I gained the prize.  Ha! ha! there were two Englishmen, two of your fellow-countrymen, who thought they would beat me; but no, no, Monsieur, it was to me you see (pointing to his breast again), Monsieur, that they gave the prize.”  At last, however, he named fifty francs as the price of either, which was very excessive, and when I suggested ten—­which was proportionately low—­he proceeded to take off his apron, roll up his coat-sleeves, and then, looking at me fiercely, said, “So, Monsieur, you take me for a ten-franc man, do you?  You think to mock me, do you?  I, who gained the prize at the Paris Exhibition, the exhibition open to all the world, for the finest dogs, you think I will sell my puppies at ten francs, Monsieur?  No, Monsieur.