Page:Dale - A Marriage Below Zero.djvu/20

14 most provoking persistence, and made day and night hideous with my frenzied interpretations of things in variations, of pyrotechnical morceaux, and of drawing-room "selections."

I sang songs with roulades which would have frightened Patti, and effective little chansons, with plenty of tra-la-la and tremulo about them. Creatures on whom the education I received would be likely to take effect, ought to be caged up, as dangerous to the community, in my opinion. I spoke villainous French, in order that I might vulgarly interlard my sentences with an occasional Gallic expression. I have done so above. You have Mme. Bobichon, instigated by mamma, to thank for it. A long haired, beery German was going the rounds of the drawing-rooms at this time (I ought to say salons, I suppose), and talking the gullible Londoners into the belief that he was a musical prodigy. I was taught German, I presume, in order that I might be able to tell him, in his own language, how much I adored him. I was very accomplished, in a word—desperately so. I will say this,