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Updated: June 10, 2025
Not one of them could speak French, although a few of them could repeat, parrot-like, the words "Parlez-vous Francais?" but they only knew it as a "foreign phrase" which sounded extremely cultured.
There was a Spanish gentleman who used to promenade the deck with a dignity worthy of the Cid Rodrigo, addressing everybody he met with the question, "Parlez-vous Francais, Monsieur?" and at the end of the voyage his stock of English only amounted to "Dice? Sixpence." One day at dinner this gentleman requested a French-speaking Californian to tell him how to ask for du pain in English.
"I know all about that," said Nancy in a glib voice. "I was at a first-rate school myself for years. Weren't we kept strict, just! My word! we couldn't call our noses our own. The only language was parlez-vous. But it was a select school very; and now that I have left, I like to feel that I am accomplished. None of you girls can beat me on the piano.
I could get onto the sedan styles in highbrow talk as long as it was in American. "I could probably spring linen-collar stuff about, 'Really a delightful book, so full of delightful characters, if I stuck by the rhetoric books long enough. But once they begin the parlez-vous, oui, oui, I'm a gone goose. Still, by golly, didn't I pick up Dutch German like a mice? Back off, son! You did not!
"Yeah, but wait till you hear the second verse. That's only part of the chorus. You see, he's supposed to be talking to a French girl. He says: 'I'll parlez-vous in Francais plain You'll answer, "Cher Americain," We'll both ..." The six-o'clock lights blazed up suddenly.
"Est-il possible!" "C'est possible. You speak English? parlez-vous anglais?" added Paul. "I speak un pere," replied the pilot. "What vessel that is?" he continued, pointing to the galiot, which was following in the wake of the Josephine. "She is a Dutch vessel, that was upset yesterday. We saved her. The captain and his family are on board, but none of us have been able to speak a word to him."
Why, he talks English as good as you and me. That's another thing about these frawgs they can all parlez-vous any language. I never yet seen a Frenchie I couldn't talk to yet." "Did you ever see anybody you couldn't talk to yet, Steve?" suggested the chief yeoman. "Here, you, how d'ya get that way? Who was it I seen th' other night out walking in the Boy de Bullone with a skirt?
They was two funny-lookin' old birds, too I'll say they was. They was about a hundred years old apiece and had long white whiskers like St. Peter, and, say, they talked a whole lot more than they dug. I guess they musta been workin' on that grave for a coupla weeks you know, ten minutes parlez-vous and then one shovela dirt.
"Faith, an' he's a broth of a boy, I can tell you; and I wouldn't give him for half-a-dozen of those parlez-vous Frenchies like the chap whose place he took indade that I wouldn't." Which, coming to Damase's ears, added further fuel to the fire of jealousy and hate that was burning within this half-savage creature's breast.
Parlez-vous Français, Mademoiselle Lucy?" he added rapidly, turning to the little American girl. "Pardonne, Madame la Mandarin!" "Sky-High will not say 'Mandarin' any more," said Mrs. Van Buren. "There are no mandarins in this country, and when Sky-High is called into the rooms above he will wear his plain clothes, not spangled clothes. Now, who taught you English?" "My master, madam."
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