Volume V Part 31 (1/2)
”Propriety is often far fro hard to leave hied to suh to help her in her business
”And how aive twelve balls and twelve suppers to the nobility, and the same number to the middle classes in the year I have often as uineas a head The expenses are enormous, and alone as I am I must be robbed, for I can't be in two places at once
Now that you are here you can keep everything under lock and key, keep the books, pay and receive accounts, and see that everyone is properly attended to at the assemblies; in fine, you will perform the duties of the master”
”And do you think that I can do all that?”
”You will easily learn it”
”I think it will be very difficult”
”One of my secretaries will co the first year you will only have to acquire the English language, and to be present at uished people in London You will get quite English before long”
”I would rather remain French”
”That's mere prejudice, my dear, you will like the sound of Mister Cornelis by-and-bye”
”Cornelis?”
”Yes; that is your name”
”It's a very funny one”
”I rite it down, so that youMadame Cornelis looked at o to bed, which he did instantly When ere alone she said he struck her as badly educated, and too se
”I ain his education all over again What has he learnt in the last six years?”
”He reat deal, for he went to the best boarding school in Paris; but he only learnt what he liked, and what he liked was not much He can play the flute, ride, fence, dance a e his shi+rt every day, answer politely, ant trifles, and dress well As he never had any application, he doesn't know anything about literature; he can scarcely write, his spelling is abominable, his arithmetic liland is situated”
”He has used the six years well, certainly”
”Say, rather, he has wasted theh at him; but then it is I who have had the care of her education He will be ashah she is only eight”
”He will never see her at eight, if I know anything of reckoning; she is fully ten”
”I think I ought to know the age of es, and ues correctly, and behaves in aa child All the ladies are in love with her I keep her at a school of design all day; she shews a great taste for drawing She dines with me on Sundays, and if you would care to cogerated her capacities”
It was Monday I said nothing, but I thought it strange that she did not seehter She should have asked
”You are just in time,” said she, ”to witness the last assembly of the year; for in a feeeks all the nobility will leave town in order to pass the suive you a ticket, as they are only issued to the nobility, but you can co If I am asked who you are, I will say that you have superintended the education of ht him back to me”
”You dotill two o'clock in the , and she told me all about the suit she had with Sir Frederick Fermer He maintained that the house she had built at a cost of ten thousand guineas belonged to hiht, but according to English larong, for it was she who had paid the workiven and received receipts, and signed all docued to her, and Fermer admitted as much; but he claimed the sum he had furnished, and here was the kernel of the whole case, for she had defied himent of money received