Daily American organ., 1856-05-13
WHOLE NO. All.
A BIunder in High Life.

A BIunder In High Lie.
From new work, called LInde Contemporaine
by +. da Lanoys, htsly published at Paris, We
transats the following story, which Il almost too
good to be true :--1'16sss<.
"When Lord H.. the recently. appointed
Governor Of Madras, was going out to India, he
found at Suez, comfortably installed In the best
stateroom OF the steamer, Frenchman whose
bearing, costume and language realized the con-
ventional type Of the perfect gentleman ire
proschsbly shod gloved, barbered and cravated,
wearing immaculate linen, and putting on for
every meal an entire new dress Of the latest cut
and marked by the finest taste. IL he were trav.
cling without suite and had entered on the regis
ter only bis first name, It was without doubt be.
cause he had good reasons for preserving incog-
nito-political reasons perhaps. And X from the
enormous mass of his baggage he might have been
supposed to be travelling clerk on his way to the
East with samples OF all the fabrics Of Paris his
pithy conversation, the gravity of his manner and
bis dignifed reserve, sometimes slightly rouicsl
upon the productions Of the kitchen and celarc c
the purser disposed Of this supposition ~ prompt.
ly - did the crown Of an earl which was borne
upon each Of his numerous trunks.
Besides, he spoke underetandingly Of the "a
Ions OF London and Paris, Of the balls of Lord
C---, the entertainments Of Earl w., and
the dinners Of Baron R--; giving such de-
eAs~ sAass ~ tukoSoioaC w ouppU30 t00I no
had taken prominent part in them, and more than
that few words carelessly let ali IN his CONVEX
sstion. induced the supposition that he had lived
on intimate terms with Lord Dalhouse the Gov
crnor-General Of India, who was then expecting
him at Calcutta All these data, compared, CON-
putsd, and commented upon by the restIess curl.
osty Of his 6slow-travellsrs, led them, and Lord
h hrst Of al, to conclude that this myste-
rious persouage must be Commissioned, sent bv
the French Government TO Its establishments In
India Or at lsaet the Governor Of Chandernsgore.
|" This point being once settled, the stranger
naturally became the lion, the centre Of observe
ton and attraction Of the little cotere Of the cabin
Lord H. prochims him 70 be without rival at
whist, and would bave no other partner, and
thought himself perfectly happy when he could re
seated on hh right At table man who. on the Hrst
inspsction, relsntessy reduced to the lowest deeps
of the vinous hierarchy wines which were presented
TO him - the products Of the most favored soiIs.
This Frenchman was In fhct . universal ronius -
Al the concert Ii the evening, It the vssy mo-
ment even, when on the quarter-dsck he sx.
changed grave political remarks on men and
things in Europe with Lord H., he would care
lesGly approach the musicians TO correct discor-
dant note or 70 approve BY patronizing gesture
difficult passage victoriously smmounted About
the tea-table he wore the same masterly conde
scension, not even disdaining to give his advice In
relation to the best methods Of making the nre-
cious beverage, and he seemed to be as we'll nc.
quanted as Robert Fortune himself with all the
varieties OF the aromatic plant Happy, then. the
young miss who was int1usted with the delicate
functions of Hebe, II she succeeded in exchanging
for smile Of appreciation tho sweetened CUP and
the toast which she had artistically prepared for
this privileged mortal for although Il must be
said that he bad evidently doubled Cape Forty, he
might still be called handsome man, and they
wore almost certain that he was unmarried.
$50 he reigned king Of fashion ON the steamer
from Suez to Ceylon, where he excused himself
from an invitation TO dinner scnt him BY the Gov.
ernor Of that Island, alleging that he was indis.
posed; from Ccylon to Madras, where Lord r.
attempted in vain to induce him to renain, and st
parting expressed his regret and esteem with such
energy, that he nearly broke three Of his fingers;
and ftom Madras to Calcutta, where his fellow
travelling friends were stupefed with horror to
learn that he whose influence thsy had al sought
for, whose ease they had admired, whose manners
they had applanded; whose regard, whose smiles
and preference they had been Intriguing to gain.
was none other than clever French cook. whom
Lord Dalhossis was importing to take charge Of
his ranges.
One must be an Englishman to comprehend
and describe the confusion Of the voluntary dupes
Of this mysti6cation when I was in Calcutta and
Madras it was the topic Of conversation in all the
European salons; people were talking about It,
and perhaps are still, more In spirit Of sadness
than OF jest; and I am sure that in all India no
man but Lord Dalhousie would have dared to laugh
over it heartily"