FullReads

“Ought not!” repeated Mrs. Temple; “my dear, it is a matter of prudence, rather than duty. By speaking to your mother with so much openness, you secure her esteem and affection; and, amongst the goods of this life, you will find the esteem and affection of a mother worth having,” concluded Mrs. Temple, with a smile; and Helen parted from her mother with a feeling of gratitude, which may securely be expected from an ingenuous well-educated daughter, who is treated with similar kindness.

No one was ready for breakfast the morning that Mr. Mountague arrived at S—- Hall, and he spent an hour alone in the breakfast-room. At length the silence was interrupted by a shrill female voice, which, as it approached nearer, he perceived to be the voice of a foreigner half suffocated with ineffectual desire to make her anger intelligible. He could only distinguish the words–“I ring, ring, ring, ay, twenty time, and nobody mind my bell nor me, no more dan noting at all.” With a violent push, the breakfast-room door flew open, and Mlle. Panache, little expecting to find any body there, entered, volubly repeating–“Dey let me ring, ring, ring!” Surprised at the sight of a gentleman, and a young gentleman, she repented having been so loud in her anger. However, upon the second reconnoitring glance at Mr. Mountague, she felt much in doubt how to behave towards him. Mademoiselle boasted often of the well-bred instinct, by which she could immediately distinguish ” un homme comme il faut ” from any other; yet sometimes, like Falstaff’s, her instinct was fallacious. Recollecting that Lady S—- had sent for an apothecary, she took it into her head that Mr. Mountague was this apothecary. “Miladi is not visible yet, sir,” said she; “does she know you are here?”

“I hope not, ma’am; for I should be very sorry she were to be disturbed, after sitting up so late last night.”

“Oh, dat will do her no harm, for I gave her, pardonnez, some excellent white wine whey out of my own head last night, when she got into her bed. I hope you don’t make no objection to white wine whey, sir?”

“I!–not in the least, ma’am.”

“Oh, I’m glad you don’t disapprove of what I’ve done! You attend many family in dis country, sir?”

“Madam!” said Mr. Mountague, taking an instant’s time to consider what she could mean by attend.

“You visit many family in dis country, sir?” persisted mademoiselle.

“Very few, ma’am; I am a stranger in this part of the world, except at Mrs. Temple’s.”

“Madame Temple, ah, oui ! I know her very well; she has two fine daughters–I mean when dey have seen more of de world. It’s a great pity, too, dey have never had de advantage of a native, to teach de good pronunciation de la langue Francaise. Madame Temple will repent herself of dat when it is too late, as I tell her always. But, sir, you have been at her house. I am sorry we did not hear none of de family had been indisposed.”

“They are all now perfectly well, ma’am,” replied Mr. Mountague, “except, indeed, that Mrs. Temple had a slight cold last week.”

“But she is re-establish by your advise, I suppose? and she–did she recommend you to miladi?”

“No, madam,” said Mr. Mountague, not a little puzzled by mademoiselle’s phraseology: “Lord George —- did me the honour to introduce me to Lady S—-.”

“Ah, Milord George! are you a long time acquainted wid milord?”

“Yes, ma’am, I have known Lord George many years.”

“Ah, many year!–you be de family physician, apparemment ?”

“The family physician! Oh no, ma’am!” said Mr. Mountague, smiling.

“Eh!” said mademoiselle, “but dat is being too modest. Many take de titre of physician, I’ll engage, wid less pretensions. And,” added she, looking graciously, ” absolument, I will not have you call yourself de family apothicaire.”