Page:Live and Let Live.djvu/143

Rh we shall repeat, merely taking the liberty to translate the French she interspersed, and mend her broken English.

"A very pretty position you will have here, my dear, if you do everything—very quick, and very well. It is very necessary you should never forget you are to be grateful to me for it—for Mrs. Hartell, my dear, would never know that you was born if I had not made the discovery." Lucy smiled. "'Tis very true, my dear—we had one Bridget here—very low Irish person, but very good judge of character—she admired me very much—she spoke well of you—your needlework, and so forth—particularly she said you was very humble, which is very pretty quality in young person—young person should always look up, and so forth, to those that are very little older—as I am than you."

"Adéle! Adéle!" shouted one of the little girls, "you look full old enough to be her mother."

"C'est que j'ai la dignité d'un âge mûr—mais, mademoiselle, vous ne devez parler que François. That is because I have the dignity belonging to ripe years—but, miss, you ought to speak only French."

"So you always say when you don't want us to be understood—I hate French, and I never will speak it when I don't choose—papa says I need not."

"Mais votre maman, ma chere mademoiselle, elle dit tout au contraire. But your mamma, miss, says quite the contrary."

"Oh, well, I mind papa when I like, and mamma when I like."

"That is the way, I assure you," said Adéle