r I am one or not: I don't well know the difference
between Romanism and Protestantism. However, I don't in the least care
for that. I was a Lutheran once at Bonn--dear Bonn!--charming
Bonn!--where there were so many handsome students. Every nice girl in
our school had an admirer; they knew our hours for walking out, and
almost always passed us on the promenade: 'Schoenes Maedchen,' we used to
hear them say. I was excessively happy at Bonn!"

"And where are you now?" I inquired.

"Oh! at--_chose_," said she.

Now, Miss Ginevra Fanshawe (such was this young person's name) only
substituted this word "_chose_" in temporary oblivion of the real name.
It was a habit she had: "_chose_" came in at every turn in her
conversation--the convenient substitute for any missing word in any
language she might chance at the time to be speaking. French girls
often do the like; from them she had caught the custom. "_Chose_,"
however, I found in this instance, stood for Villette--the great
capital of the great kingdom of Labassecour.

"Do you like Villette?" I asked.

"Pretty well. The natives, you know, are intensely stupid and vulgar;
but there are some nice English families."

"Are you in a school?"

"Yes."

"A good one?"

"Oh, no! horrid: but I go out every Sunday, and care nothing about the
_maitresses_ or the _professeurs_, or the _eleves_, and send lessons
_au diable_ (one daren't say that in English, you know, but it sounds
quite right in French); and thus I get on charmingly.... You are
laughing at me again?"

"No--I am only smiling at my own thoughts."

"What are they?" (Without waiting for an answer)--"Now, _do_ tell me
where you are going."

"Where Fate may lead me. My business is to earn a living where I can
find it."

"To earn!" (in consternation) "are you poor, then?"

"As poor as Job."

(After a pause)--"Bah! how unpleasant! But _I_ know what it is to be
poor: they are poor enough at home--papa and mamma, and all of them.
Papa is called Captain Fanshawe; he is an officer on half-pay, but
well-descended, and some of our connections are great enough; but my
uncle and godpapa De Bassompierre, who lives in France, is the only one
that helps us: he educates us girls. I have five sisters and three
brothers. By-and-by we are to marry--rather elderly gentlemen, I
suppose, with cash: papa and mamma manage that. My sister Augusta is
married now to a man much older-looking than papa. Augusta is very
beautiful--no