s it?"--"This way, sir," he answer; "I have put it
in a _box_ in the cafe room."--"Well--never mind," I say to myself; "when
a man himself finds in a stranger country, he must be never surprised.
'_Nil admirari._' Keep the eyes opened, and stare at nothing at all."
I found my dinner only there there,[13] because I was so soon come from
France; but, I learn, another sort of the box was a partition and table
particular in a saloon, and I keep there when I eated some good sole
fritted, and some not cooked mutton cutlet; and a gentleman what was put
in another _box_, perhaps Mr. Mathew, because nobody not can know him
twice, like a cameleon he is, call for the "pepper _box_." Very well. I
take a cup of coffee, and then all my hards and portmanteau come with a
wheelbarrow; and, because it was my intention to voyage up at London with
the coach, and I find my many little things was not convenient, I ask the
waiter where I might buy a night sack, or get them tie up all together in
a burden. He was well attentive at my cares, and responded, that he shall
find me a _box_ to put them all into. Well, I say nothing to all but
"Yes," for fear to discover my ignorance; so he bring the little _box_
for the clothes and things into the great _box_ what I was put into; and
he did my affairs in it very well. Then I ask him for some spectacle in
the town, and he send boot-boy with me so far as the Theatre, and I go in
to pay. It was shabby poor little place, but the man what set to have the
money, when I say "how much," asked me if I would not go into the
_boxes_. "Very well," I say, "never mind--oh yes--to be sure;" and I find
very soon the _box_ was the loge, same thing. I had not understanding
sufficient in your tongue then to comprehend all what I hear--only one
poor maiger doctor, what had been to give his physic too long time at a
cavalier old man, was condemned to swallow up a whole _box_ of his proper
pills. "Very well," I say, "that must be egregious. It is cannot be
possible;" but they bring little a _box_, not more grand nor my thumb. It
seem to be to me very ridiculous; so I returned to my hotel at despair
how I could possibility learn a language what meant so many differents in
one word.
[13] La la, signifies passable, indifferent.
I found the same waiter, who, so soon as I come in, tell me, "Sir, did
you not say that you would go by the coach to-morrow morning?" I replied,
"Yes--and I have bespeaked a seat out of the si
|