More anxious to get the desired sauce than to defend the taste of his country, or correct the impertinence of his cook, Lord —— immediately said, "On recollection, I find I made a mistake; the sauce I mean is à la Hollandaise, and not à l'Anglaise."
A la bonne heure, my lord, c'est autre chose; and the sauce was forthwith made, and was served at table the day we dined with Lord ——.
An anecdote is told of this same cook, which Lord —— relates with great good humour. The cook of another English nobleman conversing with him, said, "My master is like yours—a great gourmand."
"Pardon me," replied the other; "there is a vast difference between our masters. Yours is simply a gourmand, mine is an epicure as well."
The Duc de Talleyrand, dining with us a few days ago, observed that to give a perfect dinner, the Amphitryon should have a French cook for soups, entrées and entremets; an English rôtisseur, and an Italian confiseur, as without these, a dinner could not be faultless. "But, alas!" said he—and he sighed while he spoke it—"the Revolution has destroyed our means of keeping these artists; and we eat now to support nature, instead of, as formerly, when we ate because it was a pleasure to eat." The good-natured Duc nevertheless seemed to eat his dinner as if he still continued to take a pleasure in the operation, and did ample justice to a certain plat de cailles farcies which he pronounced to be perfect.
Our landlord, le Marquis de L——, has sent to offer us the refusal of our beautiful abode. The Duc de N—— has proposed to take it for fourteen on twenty-one years, at the same rent we pay (an extravagant one, by the bye), and as we only took it for a year, we must eithor leave or hire it for fourteen or twenty-one years, which is out of the question.
Nothing can be more fair or honourable than the conduct of the Marquis de L——, for he laid before us the offer of the Duc de N——; but as we do not intend to remain more than two or three years more in Paris, we must leave this charming house, to our infinite regret, when the year for which we have hired it expires. Gladly would we have engaged it for two, or even three years more, but this is now impossible; and we shall have the trouble of again going the round of house-hunting.
When I look on the suite of rooms in which I have passed such pleasant days, I am filled with regret at the prospect of leaving them, but it cannot be helped, so it is useless to repine. We have two months to look about us, and many friends who are occupied in assisting us in the search.
A letter from Lord B——; better, but still ailing. He presided at the Covent Garden Theatrical Fund Dinner, at the request of the Duke of Clarence. He writes me that he met there Lord F. Leveson Gower[5], who was introduced to him by Mr. Charles Greville, and of whom he has conceived a very high opinion. Lord B—— partakes my belief in physiognomy, but in this instance the impression formed from the countenance is justified by the reputation of the individual, who is universally esteemed and respected.
Went again to see the Hôtel Monaco, which Lord B—— writes me to close for; but its gloomy and uncomfortable bed-rooms discourage me, malgré the splendour of the salons, which are decidedly the finest I have seen at Paris, I will decide on nothing until Lord B——'s return.