CHAPTER VI. LONDON.

ksixteen.Doyouliketravellingalone?” “Bah!Icarenothingaboutit.IhavecrossedtheChanneltentimes,alonebutthenItakecarenevertobelongalone:Ialwaysmakefriends.” “Youwillscarcelymakemanyfriendsthisvoyage,Ithink”(glancingattheWatson-group,whowerenowlaughingandmakingagreatdealofnoiseondeck). “Notofthoseodiousmenandwomen,”saidshe:“suchpeopleshouldbesteeragepassengers.Areyougoingtoschool?” “No.” “Whereareyougoing?” “Ihavenottheleastidea—beyond,atleast,theportofBoue-Marine.” Shestared,thencarelesslyranon: “Iamgoingtoschool.Oh,thenumberofforeignschoolsIhavebeenatinmylife!AndyetIamquiteanignoramus.Iknownothing—nothingintheworld—IassureyouexceptthatIplayanddancebeautifully,—andFrenchandGermanofcourseIknow,tospeakbutIcan’treadorwritethemverywell.DoyouknowtheywantedmetotranslateapageofaneasyGermanbookintoEnglishtheotherday,andIcouldn’tdoit.Papawassomortified:hesaysitlooksasifM.deBassompierre—mygodpapa,whopaysallmyschool-bills—hadthrownawayallhismoney.Andthen,inmattersofinformation—inhistory,geography,arithmetic,andsoon,IamquiteababyandIwriteEnglishsobadly—suchspellingandgrammar,theytellme.IntothebargainIhavequiteforgottenmyreligiontheycallmeaProtestant,youknow,butreallyIamnotsurewhetherIamoneornot:Idon’twellknowthedifferencebetweenRomanismandProtestantism.However,Idon’tintheleastcareforthat.IwasaLutheranonceatBonn—dearBonn!—charmingBonn!—wherethereweresomanyhandsomestudents.Everynicegirlinourschoolhadanadmirertheyknewourhoursforwalkingout,andalmostalwayspassedusonthepromenade:‘Sch?nesM?dchen,’weusedtohearthemsay.IwasexcessivelyhappyatBonn!” “Andwhereareyounow?”Iinquired. “Oh!at—chose,”saidshe. Now,MissGinevraFanshawe(suchwasthisyoungperson’sname)onlysubstitutedthisword“chose”intemporaryoblivionoftherealname.Itwasahabitshehad:“chose”cameinateveryturninherconversation—theconvenientsubstituteforanymissingwordinanylanguageshemightchanceatthetimetobespeaking.Frenchgirlsoftendothelikefromthemshehadcaughtthecustom.“Chose,”however,Ifoundinthisinstance,stoodforVillette—thegreatcapitalofthegreatkingdomofLabassecour. “DoyoulikeVillette?”Iasked. “Prettywell.Thenatives,youknow,areintenselystupidandvulgarbuttherearesomeniceEnglishfamilies.” “Areyouinaschool?” “Yes.” “Agoodone?” “Oh,no!horrid:butIgoouteverySunday,andcarenothingaboutthema?tressesortheprofesseurs,ortheélèves,andsendlessonsaudiable(onedaren’tsaythatinEnglish,youknow,butitsoundsquiterightinFrench)andthusIgetoncharmingly….Youarelaughingatmeagain?” “No—Iamonlysmilingatmyownthoughts.” “Whatarethey?”(Withoutwaitingforananswer)—“Now,dotellmewhereyouaregoing.” “WhereFatemayleadme.MybusinessistoearnalivingwhereIcanfindit.” “Toearn!”(inconsternation)“areyoupoor,then?” “AspoorasJob.” (Afterapause)—“Bah!howunpleasant!ButIknowwhatitistobepoor:theyarepoorenoughathome—papaandmamma,andallofthem.PapaiscalledCaptainFanshaweheisanofficeronhalf-pay,butwell-descended,andsomeofourconnectionsaregreatenoughbutmyuncleandgodpapaDeBassompierre,wholivesinFrance,istheonlyonethathelpsus:heeducatesusgirls.Ihavefivesistersandthreebrothers.By-and-bywearetomarry—ratherelderlygentlemen,Isuppose,withcash:papaandmammamanagethat.MysisterAugustaismarriednowtoamanmucholder-lookingthanpapa.Augustaisverybeautiful—notinmystyle—butdarkherhusband,Mr.Davies,hadtheyellowfeverinIndia,andheisstillthecolourofaguineabutthenheisrich,andAugustahashercarriageandestablishment,andweallthinkshehasdoneperfectlywell.Now,thisisbetterthan‘earningaliving,’asyousay.Bytheway,areyouclever?” “No—notatall.” “Youcanplay,sing,speakthreeorfourlanguages?” “Bynomeans.” “StillIthinkyouareclever”(apauseandayawn). “Shallyoubesea-sick?” “Shallyou?” “Oh,immensely!assoonaseverwegetinsightofthesea:Ibegin,indeed,tofeelitalready.Ishallgobelowandwon’tIorderaboutthatfatodiousstewardess!Heureusementjesaisfaireallermonmonde.” Downshewent. Itwasnotlongbeforetheotherpassengersfollowedher:throughouttheafternoonIremainedondeckalone.WhenIrecallthetranquil,andevenhappymoodinwhichIpassedthosehours,andr