Seeing France with Uncle John

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Warner Anne. Seeing France with Uncle John

I. YVONNE TO HER MOTHER

II. UNCLE JOHN IN ROUEN

III. YVONNE TO HER MOTHER

IV. YVONNE TO HER MOTHER

V. UNCLE JOHN EN ROUTE

VI. YVONNE TO HER MOTHER

VII

VIII. UNCLE JOHN PARALYZED

IX. YVONNE TO HER MOTHER

X. YVONNE TO HER MOTHER

XI. YVONNE TO HER MOTHER

XII. UNCLE JOHN AND MONT-SAINT-MICHEL

XIII. YVONNE TO HER MOTHER

XIV. YVONNE TO HER MOTHER

XV. UNCLE JOHN WELL CONTENT

Отрывок из книги

"Well, girls, are you ready to get up and out and set about improving your minds? I've been reading the guide-book and spilling my coffee with trying to do two things at once, ever since eight o'clock. But what your Uncle John doesn't know about Rouen now isn't worth stopping to look up in the index. Why, I've even got the real French twang to the pronunciation. It's Rooank; only you stop short of the 'n' and the 'k,' so to speak. The waiter who brought my breakfast showed me how to do it – said he never saw a foreigner catch on to the trick so quick before. I gave him one of those slim little quarters they have here, and he was so pleased that he taught me how to say 'Joan of Arc' for nothing. It's Shondark —Shondark. I learned it in no time. Well, come on, if you're ready. I've been waiting almost an hour.

"I declare, but this fresh, free atmosphere is refreshing! As soon as you get outside of your bedroom door you begin to get the full benefit of the Continental climate. I presume, if you're poor, you get it as soon as you get outside of your bed clothes. Rather a medieval staircase, eh? And four orange-trees at the bottom to try and fool us into feeling balmy. However, I don't mind little discomforts: all I mind is being shut up on a ship with a darned fool like that man Sibbilly. I shouldn't wonder if his mother was his wife, after all. I could believe anything of him. I didn't like him.

.....

"So this is the tomb of the husband of Diana of Poitiers? I didn't know she ever had a husband – thought she only had a king. I've never been brought up to think of Diana of Poitiers mourning a husband. But maybe she did, maybe she did. They say you must check your common sense at the hotel when you set out to inspect Europe, and I believe it – I believe it. It's a nice tomb, and if they kneel and mourn in a gown with a train, she certainly is doing it up brown. However, let's go on.

"Two cardinals of Amboise kind of going in procession on their knees over their own dead bodies – or maybe it's only hearts again. Well, Bob, the Reformation was a great thing, after all, wasn't it? Must have felt fine to straighten up for a while. Stop a bit; the guide-book said there was something to examine about these two – wait till I find the place. Oh, well, never mind; I dare say a guide-book's very handy, but I move we quit this damp old hole, anyway. I wouldn't bother to come again. That's a sad thing about life, Bob; as soon as you get in front of anything and get a square look at it, you're ready to move on – at least I am.

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