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Updated: June 23, 2025
"I am a puzzled bourgeoise, I confess," she said, shaking her head. "Come, Favraud, explain. Who is this young lady?" "A bourgeoise also," I replied for him, anxious to turn the tide of conversation into another channel for some reasons. "I had thought you an expatriated marquise, at least, madame!" I continued. "As for me, I am simply a governess."
"A grave and even gloomy man in public life, he is all life and interest in the social circle," said Major Favraud. "His range of thought is the grandest and most unlimited, his powers of conversation are the rarest I have ever met with. Yet he never refused, on any occasion, to answer with minuteness the inquiries of the smallest child or most insignificant dependant.
We followed the Mercury of the establishment, a grave-looking little yellow boy, who seemed to have grown prematurely old, from his constant companionship, probably, with his preceptor and mistress, into a long, low apartment in the rear of the dwelling, where a table was spread for our party, with a damask cloth and napkins, decorated china and cut-glass, that proved Madame Grambeau's personal superintendence; and which elicited from Major Favraud, as he entered, a long, low whistle of approval and surprise, and the exclamation "Heh! madame! you are overwhelming us to-day with your magnificence."
"No, there is nothing in that poem, certainly, that angels might not hear approvingly; but it would sadden you, Major Favraud." "I will take the chance of that," laughing. "Come, the poem, if you care to please your driver, and reward his care. See how skillfully I avoided that fallen branch suppose I were to be spiteful, and upset you against this stump?"
"Rice cakes for breakfast" "All in my eye, Betty Martin" "Yarns and Yankees" "Shad and shin-plasters" "Yams and yaller boys," and so on, in a string of the most irrelevant alliteration and folly, that, like much other nonsense, evoked peals of laughter, by its unexpected utterance, and which at last mollified and brought out Major Favraud himself, from his dignified retirement.
"'The earth has bubbles as the water hath, and these are of them," said Major Favraud aside, between his short, set teeth, nodding to me as he spoke, and lending the next moment implicit attention to what Madame Grambeau was saying; for the brief pause she had made for another pinch of snuff was ended, and she continued impetuously, as if no interval had occurred: "Clay is, unconsciously, I trust, for the honor of mankind, fulfilling his destiny this great prophet who still refuses to prophesy.
Calhoun led Major Favraud aside, with a brief apology to me for his misapprehension, and they stood together, talking low, at the extreme end of the apartment, affording me thus an admirable opportunity for observing the personnel of the great Southern leader, during the brief space of time accorded by the change of stage-horses.
Ah, madame, I see why you absented yourself so cruelly this morning. You have been engaged in good works!" "Only the sauces, Favraud! seulement les sauces" "The sauces it's just that! Tide is a mere charlatan in comparison," turning to me. "Miss Harz, you never tasted any thing before like madame's soup and sauces.
I now begin to see the truth of what my copy-book told me long ago, that 'evil association corrupts good manners, or I will vary it and substitute 'opinions. I must eschew your society, in a literary way, I must indeed, Major Favraud." "Now comes along this strolling Longfellow minstrel," he continued, ignoring or not hearing my remark, "with his dreary hurdy-gurdy to cap the climax.
It is one of the few English words I do not know or forget. I believe, to make them, however, is a medical peculiarity." "Puns, madame, puns, not pills. Don't forget it now. It is time you were beginning to master our language. You know you are almost grown up!" and Favraud looked at her saucily. "A language which madame speaks more perfectly than any foreigner I have ever known," I remarked.
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