ndwithembarrassment)“myparentswerenotallthetwoGenevese.”
“SayBOTH,insteadof‘allthetwo,’mademoiselle.”
“NotBOTHSwiss:mymotherwasEnglish.”
“Ah!andofEnglishextraction?”
“Yes—herancestorswereallEnglish.”
“Andyourfather?”
“HewasSwiss.”
“Whatbesides?Whatwashisprofession?”
“Ecclesiastic—pastor—hehadachurch.”
“SinceyourmotherisanEnglishwoman,whydoyounotspeakEnglishwithmorefacility?”
“Mamanestmorte,ilyadixans.”
“Andyoudohomagetohermemorybyforgettingherlanguage.HavethegoodnesstoputFrenchoutofyourmindsolongasIconversewithyou—keeptoEnglish.”
“C’estsidifficile,monsieur,quandonn’enaplusl’habitude.”
“Youhadthehabitudeformerly,Isuppose?Nowanswermeinyourmothertongue.”
“Yes,sir,IspoketheEnglishmorethantheFrenchwhenIwasachild.”
“Whydoyounotspeakitnow?”
“BecauseIhavenoEnglishfriends.”
“Youlivewithyourfather,Isuppose?”
“Myfatherisdead.”
“Youhavebrothersandsisters?”
“Notone.”
“Doyoulivealone?”
“No—Ihaveanaunt—matanteJulienne.”
“Yourfather’ssister?”
“Justement,monsieur.”
“IsthatEnglish?”
“No—butIforget—”
“Forwhich,mademoiselle,ifyouwereachildIshouldcertainlydevisesomeslightpunishmentatyourage—youmustbetwoorthreeandtwenty,Ishouldthink?”
“Pasencore,monsieur—enunmoisj’auraidix-neufans.”
“Well,nineteenisamatureage,and,havingattainedit,yououghttobesosolicitousforyourownimprovement,thatitshouldnotbeneedfulforamastertoremindyoutwiceoftheexpediencyofyourspeakingEnglishwheneverpracticable.”
TothiswisespeechIreceivednoanswerand,whenIlookedup,mypupilwassmilingtoherselfamuch-meaning,thoughnotverygaysmileitseemedtosay,“Hetalksofheknowsnotwhat:”itsaidthissoplainly,thatIdeterminedtorequestinformationonthepointconcerningwhichmyignoranceseemedtobethustacitlyaffirmed.
“Areyousolicitousforyourownimprovement?”
“Rather.”
“Howdoyouproveit,mademoiselle?”
Anoddquestion,andbluntlyputitexcitedasecondsmile.
“Why,monsieur,Iamnotinattentive—amI?Ilearnmylessonswell—”