a bundle of letters-第2部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！



understand　a　single　word　of　the　play；　they　gabbled　it　off　so　fast；

and　they　made　use　of　such　peculiar　expressions。　　I　felt　a　good　deal

disappointed　and　troubledI　was　afraid　I　shouldn't　gain　all　I　had

come　for。　　But　while　I　was　thinking　it　overthinking　what　I　SHOULD

doI　heard　two　gentlemen　talking　behind　me。　　It　was　between　the

acts；　and　I　couldn't　help　listening　to　what　they　said。　　They　were

talking　English；　but　I　guess　they　were　Americans。



〃Well；〃　said　one　of　them；　〃it　all　depends　on　what　you　are　after。　　I'm

French；　that's　what　I'm　after。〃



〃Well；〃　said　the　other；　〃I'm　after　Art。〃



〃Well；〃　said　the　first；　〃I'm　after　Art　too；　but　I'm　after　French

most。〃



Then；　dear　mother；　I　am　sorry　to　say　the　second　one　swore　a　little。

He　said；　〃Oh；　damn　French！〃



〃No；　I　won't　damn　French；〃　said　his　friend。　　〃I'll　acquire　itthat's

what　I'll　do　with　it。　　I'll　go　right　into　a　family。〃



〃What　family'll　you　go　into？〃



〃Into　some　French　family。　　That's　the　only　way　to　doto　go　to　some

place　where　you　can　talk。　　If　you're　after　Art；　you　want　to　stick　to

the　galleries；　you　want　to　go　right　through　the　Louvre；　room　by　room；

you　want　to　take　a　room　a　day；　or　something　of　that　sort。　　But；　if

you　want　to　acquire　French；　the　thing　is　to　look　out　for　a　family。

There　are　lots　of　French　families　here　that　take　you　to　board　and

teach　you。　　My　second　cousinthat　young　lady　I　told　you　aboutshe

got　in　with　a　crowd　like　that；　and　they　booked　her　right　up　in　three

months。　　They　just　took　her　right　in　and　they　talked　to　her。　　That's

what　they　do　to　you；　they　set　you　right　down　and　they　talk　AT　you。

You've　got　to　understand　them；　you　can't　help　yourself。　　That　family

my　cousin　was　with　has　moved　away　somewhere；　or　I　should　try　and　get

in　with　them。　　They　were　very　smart　people；　that　family；　after　she

left；　my　cousin　corresponded　with　them　in　French。　　But　I　mean　to　find

some　other　crowd；　if　it　takes　a　lot　of　trouble！



I　listened　to　all　this　with　great　interest；　and　when　he　spoke　about

his　cousin　I　was　on　the　point　of　turning　around　to　ask　him　the

address　of　the　family　that　she　was　with；　but　the　next　moment　he　said

they　had　moved　away；　so　I　sat　still。　　The　other　gentleman；　however；

didn't　seem　to　be　affected　in　the　same　way　as　I　was。



〃Well；〃　he　said；　〃you　may　follow　up　that　if　you　like；　I　mean　to

follow　up　the　pictures。　　I　don't　believe　there　is　ever　going　to　be

any　considerable　demand　in　the　United　States　for　French；　but　I　can

promise　you　that　in　about　ten　years　there'll　be　a　big　demand　for　Art！

And　it　won't　be　temporary　either。〃



That　remark　may　be　very　true；　but　I　don't　care　anything　about　the

demand；　I　want　to　know　French　for　its　own　sake。　　I　don't　want　to

think　I　have　been　all　this　while　without　having　gained　an　insight　。　。

。　The　very　next　day；　I　asked　the　lady　who　kept　the　books　at　the　hotel

whether　she　knew　of　any　family　that　could　take　me　to　board　and　give

me　the　benefit　of　their　conversation。　　She　instantly　threw　up　her

hands；　with　several　little　shrill　cries　（in　their　French　way；　you

know）；　and　told　me　that　her　dearest　friend　kept　a　regular　place　of

that　kind。　　If　she　had　known　I　was　looking　out　for　such　a　place　she

would　have　told　me　before；　she　had　not　spoken　of　it　herself；　because

she　didn't　wish　to　injure　the　hotel　by　being　the　cause　of　my　going

away。　　She　told　me　this　was　a　charming　family；　who　had　often　received

American　ladies　（and　others　as　well）　who　wished　to　follow　up　the

language；　and　she　was　sure　I　should　be　delighted　with　them。　　So　she

gave　me　their　address；　and　offered　to　go　with　me　to　introduce　me。

But　I　was　in　such　a　hurry　that　I　went　off　by　myself；　and　I　had　no

trouble　in　finding　these　good　people。　　They　were　delighted　to　receive

me；　and　I　was　very　much　pleased　with　what　I　saw　of　them。　　They　seemed

to　have　plenty　of　conversation；　and　there　will　be　no　trouble　about

that。



I　came　here　to　stay　about　three　days　ago；　and　by　this　time　I　have

seen　a　great　deal　of　them。　　The　price　of　board　struck　me　as　rather

high；　but　I　must　remember　that　a　quantity　of　conversation　is　thrown

in。　　I　have　a　very　pretty　little　roomwithout　any　carpet；　but　with

seven　mirrors；　two　clocks；　and　five　curtains。　　I　was　rather

disappointed　after　I　arrived　to　find　that　there　are　several　other

Americans　here　for　the　same　purpose　as　myself。　　At　least　there　are

three　Americans　and　two　English　people；　and　also　a　German　gentleman。

I　am　afraid；　therefore；　our　conversation　will　be　rather　mixed；　but　I

have　not　yet　time　to　judge。　　I　try　to　talk　with　Madame　de　Maisonrouge

all　I　can　（she　is　the　lady　of　the　house；　and　the　REAL　family　consists

only　of　herself　and　her　two　daughters）。　　They　are　all　most　elegant；

interesting　women；　and　I　am　sure　we　shall　become　intimate　friends。　　I

will　write　you　more　about　them　in　my　next。　　Tell　William　Platt　I

don't　care　what　he　does。







CHAPTER　III







FROM　MISS　VIOLET　RAY；　IN　PARIS；　TO　MISS　AGNES　RICH；　IN　NEW　YORK。



September　21st。



We　had　hardly　got　here　when　father　received　a　telegram　saying　he

would　have　to　come　right　back　to　New　York。　　It　was　for　something

about　his　businessI　don't　know　exactly　what；　you　know　I　never

understand　those　things；　never　want　to。　　We　had　just　got　settled　at

the　hotel；　in　some　charming　rooms；　and　mother　and　I；　as　you　may

imagine；　were　greatly　annoyed。　　Father　is　extremely　fussy；　as　you

know；　and　his　first　idea；　as　soon　as　he　found　he　should　have　to　go

back；　was　that　we　should　go　back　with　him。　　He　declared　he　would

never　leave　us　in　Paris　alone；　and　that　we　must　return　and　come　out

again。　　I　don't　know　what　he　thought　would　happen　to　us；　I　suppose　he

thought　we　should　be　too　extravagant。　　It's　father's　theory　that　we

are　always　running　up　bills；　whereas　a　little　observation　would　show

him　that　we　wear　the　same　old　RAGS　FOR　MONTHS。　　But　father　has　no

observation；　he　has　nothing　but　theories。　　Mother　and　I；　however；

have；　fortunately；　a　great　deal　of　PRACTICE；　and　we　succeeded　in

making　him　understand　that　we　wouldn't　budge　from　Paris；　and　that　we

would　rather　be　chopped　into　small　pieces　than　cross　that　dreadful

ocean　again。　　So；　at　last；　he　decided　to　go　back　alone；　and　to　leave

us　here　for　three　months。　　But；　to　show　you　how　fussy　he　is；　he

refused　to　let　us　stay　at　the　hotel；　and　insisted　that　we　should　go

into　a　FAMILY。　　I　don't　know　what　put　such　an　idea　into　his　head；

unless　it　was　some　advertisement　that　he　saw　in　one　of　the　American

papers　that　are　published　here。



There　are　families　here　who　receive　American　and　English　people　to

live　with　them；　under　the　pretence　of　teaching　them　French。　　You　may

imagine　what　people　they　areI　mean　the　families　themselves。　　But

the　Americans　who　choose　this　peculiar　manner　of　seeing　Paris　must　be

actually　just　as　bad。　　Mother　and　I　were　horrified；　and　declared　that

main　force　should　not　remove　us　from　the　hotel。　　But　father　has　a　way

of　arriving　at　his　ends　which　is　more　efficient　than　violence。　　He

worries　and　fusses；　he　〃nags；〃　as　we　used　to　say　at　school；　and；　when

mother　and　I　are　quite　worn　out；　his　triumph　is　assured。　　Mother　is

usually　worn　out　more　easily　than　I；　and　she　ends　by　siding　with

father；　so　that；　at　last；　when　they　combine　their　forces　against　poor

little　me；　I　have　to　succumb。　　You　should　have　heard　the　way　father

went　on　about　this　〃family〃　plan；　he　talked　to　every　one　he　saw　about

it；　he　used　to　go　round　to　the　banker's　and　talk　to　the　people　there…

…the　people　in　the　post…office；　he　used　to　try　and　exchange　ideas

about　it　with　the　waiters　at　the　hotel。　　He　said　it　would　be　more

safe；　more　respectable；　more　economical；　that　I　should　perfect　my

French；　that　mother　would　learn　how　a　French　household　is　conducted；

that　he　should　feel　more　easy；　and　five　hundred　reasons　more。　　They

were　none　of　them　good；　but　that　made　no　difference。　　It's　all

humbug；　his　talking　about　economy；　when　every　one　knows　that　business

in　America　has　completely　recovered；　that　the　prostration　is　all

over；　and　that　immense　fortunes　are　being　made。　　We　have　been

economising　for　the　last　five　years；　and　I　supposed　we　came　abroad　to

reap　the　benefits　of　it。



As　for　my　French；　it　is　quite　as　perfect　as　I　want　it　to　be。　　（I

assure　you　I　am　often　surprised　at　my　own　fluency；　and；　when　I　get　a

little　more　practice　in　the　genders　and　the　idioms；　I　shall　do　very

well　in　this　respect。）　　To　make　a　long　story　short；　however；　father

carried　his　point；　as　usual；　mother　basely　deserted　me　at　the　last

moment；　and；　after　holding　out　alone　for　three　days；　I　told　them　to

do　with　me　what　they　pleased！　　Father　lost　three　steamers　in

succession　by　remaining　in　Paris　to　argue　with　me。　　You　know　he　is

like　the　schoolmaster　in　Goldsmith's　〃Deserted　Village〃〃e'en　though

vanquished；　he　would　argue　still。〃　He　and　mother　went　to　look　at　some

seventeen　families　（they　had　got　the　addresses　somewhere）；　while　I

retired　to　my　sofa；　and　would　have　nothing　to　do　with　it。　　At　last

they　made　arrangements；　and　I　was　transported　to　the　establishment

from　which　I　now　write　you。　　I　write　you　from　the　bosom　of　a　Parisian

menagefrom　the　depths　of　a　second…rate　boarding…house。



Father　only　left　Paris　after　he　had　seen　us　what　he　calls　comfortably

settled　here；　and　had　informed　Madame　de　Maisonrouge　（the　mistress　of

the　establishmentthe　head　of　the　〃family〃）　that　he　wished　my　French

pronunciation　especially　attended　to。　　The　pronunciation；　as　it

happens；　is　just　what　I　am　most　at　home　in；　if　he　had　said　my　genders

or　my　idioms　there　would　have　been　some　sense。　　But　poor　father　has

no　tact；　and　this　defect　is　especially　marked　since　he　has　been　in

Europe。　　He　will　be　absent；　however；　for　three　months；　and　mother　and

I　shall　breathe　more　freely；　the　situation　will　be　less　intense。　　I

must　confess　that　we　breathe　more　freely　than　I　expected；　in　this

place；　where　we　have　been　for　about　a　week。　　I　was　sure；　before　we

came；　that　it　would