FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135  
136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   >>  
der the shade of the trees, on a camp-stool, with a camphor-bag to keep away insects, and in bodily fear of the dogs. Poor Madame! I thought she would have had a fit on the first night of her arrival, when the customary civility was paid of offering her a dog to sleep on her bed. She never got really accustomed to them, and they never seemed quite to understand her. To the end of her stay they snuffed at her black skirts suspiciously, as if she were still more or less of an enigma to them. Madame was markedly civil to them, and even addressed them from time to time as "bons enfants," in imitation of our phrase "dear boys"; but more frequently, in watching the terms on which they lived with the family, she would throw up her little brown hands and exclaim, "_Menage extraordinaire!_" I am sure she thought us a strange household in more ways than one, but I think she grew fond of us. For Eleanor she had always had a liking; about Eleanor's mother she became rhapsodical. "How good!" so she cried to me, "and how truthful--how altogether truthful! What talents also, my faith! Miss Arkwright has had great advantages. A mother extraordinary!" Mrs. Arkwright had many discussions with Madame on political subjects, and also on the education of girls. On the latter their views were so essentially different, that the discussion was apt to wax hot. Madame came at last to allow that for English girls Madame Arkwright's views might be just, but _pour les filles francaises_--she held to her own opinions. With the boys she got on very well. At first they laughed at her; then Clement became polite, and even learned to speak French with her after a fashion. Jack was not only ignorant of French, but his English was so mixed with school-boy idioms, that Madame and he seldom got through a conversation without wonderful complications, from which, however, Jack's expressive countenance and ready wit generally delivered them in the long run. I do not know whether, on the whole, Madame did not like Mr. Arkwright best of all. _Le bon pasteur_, as she styled him. "The Furrin Lady," as she was called in the village, was very fond of looking into the cottages, and studying the ways of the country generally. I never shall forget the occurrence of the yearly village fair or feast during her visit: her anxiety to be present--her remarkable costume on the occasion--and the strong conviction borne in upon Eleanor and me that the Fat Lady in
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135  
136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   >>  



Top keywords:
Madame
 

Arkwright

 

Eleanor

 

French

 

generally

 
village
 
English
 

mother

 
truthful
 

thought


ignorant

 

complications

 
camphor
 

fashion

 
seldom
 

conversation

 
idioms
 
learned
 

school

 

wonderful


polite

 

filles

 

francaises

 

laughed

 

Clement

 

opinions

 

expressive

 

countenance

 

occurrence

 

forget


yearly

 
country
 

cottages

 

studying

 

conviction

 
strong
 

occasion

 
anxiety
 

present

 
remarkable

costume
 

called

 
delivered
 
Furrin
 

styled

 

pasteur

 
insects
 

watching

 
frequently
 

offering