Vhen I
catch me a bigk vord I am so proudt, yet, as I hadt a fish caught!"
I was willing to believe it, but thought how still more true it was of
Mrs. Fontenette. But the gentle speaker had not paused. "Sare iss no vife
so _spiritual_," she repeated, triumphantly, "and who got a hussbandt so
spiritual, sat eeser vun--do you say 'eeser vun'?"
"Either one," said her hostess, reassuringly.
"Yes, so spiritual sat eeser vun can keep sat rule inside--to be pairfect'
clean, if sat vun do not see usseh vun _idealize_."
I made a stir--"Hmm!" Whereupon she came warily to the door. I sat
engrossed in a book and wishing I could silently crawl under it snake
fashion; but I could feel her eyes all over me, and with them was a
glimmering smile that helped them to make me tingle as she softly spoke.
"Ah!--See se book-vorm! He iss all eyes--and ee-ahs. Iss it _not_ so?"
"Pardon," I murmured; "did you spe'--has any one been speaking and I have
failed to give attention?"
"O no, sir! I sink not! Vell, you are velcome to all you haf heardt; but I
am ve'y much oblige' to you for yo' 'hmm.' It vas se right sing in se
right place. But do you not sink I shouldt haf been a pre-eacheh? I love
to preach."
I said I knew of three men in one neighborhood with whom she might start a
church, and asked how was the Baron.
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