“A most hunexpected pleasure, sir. I thought as 'ow you wasn't comin' till hafter the festivities of Christmas, sir.”
But at this point his eye fell upon my friend the Marquis, and his expression changed in the drollest manner. Halfred's British prejudices had become adjusted to me by this time, but evidently the very appearance of this stranger was altogether too foreign for him. He became abnormally solemn, and handed me a budget of letters that had come this evening, with no further comment, while his eye plainly said, “Have a care what company you keep!”
In the mean time my guest had been regarding him with a rapt and thoughtful gaze, and now he said, in the most execrable English:
“Vill you please get me a bread or biskeet?”
“Bread, sir?” replied Halfred, starting and looking hard at him. “Slice of 'am with it?”
“What did he say?” the Marquis asked me, in French.
I explained.
“Ah, yes; some pork; certain! Vich it vill also quite good and so to be.”
