Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-12-12
THAT FRIEND OF SYLVIA'S.
WRITTEN FOR THE EVENING STAR BY
GRANT ALLEN.
CHAPTER L

CHAPTER L
MY WIFE WINTERS ABROAD. NEVER
A'A accom- pany her. As British merchant I
disapprove Of the continent dislike the ways,
the food. the drainage, the morals. particu-
larry dislike the French language. do not
speak II don't want to speak il. Il may be
wrong, but it appears to me that the subjects
for which alone the French language Is adapted
are trivial and commonplace. object to q
tongue in which you are always talking non
sense. about the gardeners wife, and the son
Of the carpenter For my part don't desire
to say that the shoemaker's daughter has the
coat Of the tall man with the red whiskers. nor
does it interest me to learn that the washer
woman's husband loves the niece of the good
fishmonger, Iregard such tittle-tattle about
the lower orders as unmanly and undignifed.
But these are, apparently, the staple of con-
versation in the French language Therefore,
I repeat. 1 do not desire to learn it,
My wife, however, is unfortunately an in
valid lady. dislike referring to the internal
organs OF the human frame, but it is necessary
for me to explain that her lungs are affected
She calls herself u poitrinaire, which, under
stand. is French for lungy 1 regret to say
Mrs. Worthistan does not share my instructive
dislike for the French language or the con-
tinent Of Europe. On the contrary, being
lungy, she spends every winter on the Riviera
for the sake of the climate. On these expe-
ditions in search of health my daughter Sylvia
accompanies her. / am proud of Sylvia. I do
not deny it. Sylvia is a girl. indeed, that any
man might well be proud OF. Her education
cost me several hundred pounds. and
shall never regret it. Sylvia is tall, hand
some, graceful, dignifed, q very attractive
girl, with charming voice and most
taking manners She looks and moves
every inch lady. 1t is the desire of my heart
to see Sylvia married, as a girl in her position
ought to be married, to person Of rank or
status in the county. l hate vulgarity. l de-
test the mob. 1t is my desire that Sylvia
should marry a gentleman. say 10 more than
that But when say that mean great deal
by IL.
My wife affects Cannes, Nice, Mentone. Sylvia
goes with her. This cuts me off entirely from
the pleasures Of their society during half the
year. l regret that, too. l would like to be
near, 30 as to watch over Sylvia and guard her
alike from the advances of the ignoble plebeian
or the interested fortune hunter. (For need
hardly say that Sylvia will be rich. Palm oil
may not be particularly aristocratic, it is true,
but II is emnently respectable, and, I will even
add, lucrative) Business, the sordtd affairs of
the Oil market, detan me in the city from day
get AWAY for fortnight at a time to visit Maria
and Sylvia in their foreign quarters At Christ
mas, i will admit, the Mediterranean is en-
durable. 1t is period when one prefers to be
away from England. l admire all our British
institutions from the very bottom oil my heart,
but am over sixty and l have digestion
Plum pudding is an institution that can now
admire in the abstract only.
Last November, as it happened. Mrs Worthis-
tan and Sylvia were stopping at the Antilles, a
most charming spot must allow. between
Nice and Cannes. undeniably healthy and with
the lovelest views on the whole Riviera. Sylvia
is always the most dutiful of daughters and the
best of correspondents. and she wrote to me
pretty well every second day full budget of
news about herself aud her mother. But her
letters alarmed me. They were staying at
hotel where another of the guests was GER
tain young man of the name of Hampton. 1t
began to strike me after q while that Sylvia
was seeing good deal too much of this I'M
known young man. 1t was Mr.. Hampton this,
MIR. Hampton that. Mr.. Hampton the other
quaintance with Mr.. Hampton. Yesterday
We went for a delightful picnic among the
pine woods near Collie Juan. Mr.. Hampton
helped us to carry the basket and was SO nice
and kind and SO very attentive to mother"
Atten'i i've, to Maria! Was he: the ras-
tune hunters. They know that to be
polite and attentive TO mamma is the very way
OF making up to a daughter who happens to be
an heiress. This morning Mr.. Hampton hired
a lovely little sailing boat and took mother and
me across the bay to the islands. He's really
very good to us, and mother quite attached to
him." Ohoi Mr.. Hampton, sir, so that's your
little game. Well, at least, thought to my
SELF before long I'll just run across and have q
good round look at you.
Sc q week before Christmas, I observed to
Jowles, my confidential clerk: Get me q con-
tinental Bradshaw this morning, Jowles, and
look me up good train for the Riviera"
''Yes, sir; directly, sir, Jowles answered me
at once Capital servant, Jowles, knows his place
to T). "Ludgate Ill or Victoria, sirl''
Now IL there a habit of the populace which
cannot endure it's the barbarous practice of
the aspirate. / never permit 1t.
even In mental or an underling. French, as
l observed, l neither know nor desire to learn,
but insist upon the purity of our native Ian
4uage. 1t is with me Il perfect passion.
''Jowles," / said severely, raising nv fore
finger in disapprobation, I'm astonished that
you, after twenty years in my service, should
still be unable to say Ludgate Hill correctly.
Your pronunciation of the words is unworthy
OF bOStrotter. 1t betrays the ungracef ul idiom
OF Bow Bells. Retire at once to your own room
in the office, sir, and say 'Ludgate Hill to your
self twenty times over. till you feel perfectly
certain you can manage the aspirate."
Jowies went of like "a lamb Capital subordi-
nate, Jowles). and in half an hour or less re-
turned with The bradshaw" and the carefully
conncd remark:
Train leaves Ludgatc Hill at 1910 tomorrow,
SIR"
Not SO much effort about it, Jowles," said
condescendinSly, with an encouraging smile
Not quite So much effort about it. But YOU
mean IL well. and, at any rate, that's a distinct
Improvement"
So by 1880 the next morning WAS whirling
away, post haste, through the county of Kent
on my way south to insr ect the man Hampton.
CHAPTER II.