It was Monday
(baking day), and I was hot and tired; still, if they had behaved
quietly and decently, I would have served them out their tea in peace;
but they began glorifying themselves, and abusing Dissenters in such a
manner, that my temper lost its balance, and I pronounced a few
sentences sharply and rapidly, which struck them all dumb. Papa was
greatly horrified also, but I don't regret it."
On her return from this short visit to her friend, she travelled with a
gentleman in the railway carriage, whose features and bearing betrayed
him, in a moment, to be a Frenchman. She ventured to ask him if such was
not the case; and, on his admitting it, she further inquired if he had
not passed a considerable time in Germany, and was answered that he had;
her quick ear detected something of the thick guttural pronunciation,
which, Frenchmen say, they are able to discover even in the grandchildren
of their countrymen who have lived any time beyond the Rhine. Charlotte
had retained her skill in the language by the habit of which she thus
speaks to M. Heger:--
"Je crains beaucoup d'oublier le francais--j'apprends tous les jours
une demie page de francais par coeur, et j'ai grand plaisir a
apprendre cette lecon, Veuillez presenter a Madame l'assurance de mon
estime; je crains que Maria-Louise et Claire ne m'aient deja oubliees;
mais je vous reverrai un jour; aussitot que j'aurais gagne assez
d'argent pour alter a Bruxelles, j'y irai.
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