Author’s Note
110 Words
Author’s NoteA swordstick is a walking stick which conceals a sharp rapier-like steel blade. Swordsticks date from the 1730s and continued in production until the late nineteenth century.
In 1820 Calais could be reached from Dover in three hours and the passage even in bad weather rarely took longer than five or six.
Of the public transport available in France the diligence was the quickest and the horses, which were changed every twelve miles, travelled at a gallop. There were thirty and a half posts between Calais and Paris.
The only comfortable way, however, was for travellers to take their own horses and well-sprung carriages. This was, needless to say, very expensive.
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