"Give us what?" demanded the Unwiseman.
"Some-more," said Whistlebinkie.
"Well here is a very nice bit that I can do if somebody gives me the chance," said the Unwiseman. "It begins:
| "Lend me your silver backed hand-glass. |
| Certainly. Who is that singing in the drawing room? |
| It is my daughter. |
| It is long since I heard anyone sing so well. |
| She has been taking lessons only two weeks. |
| Does she practice on the phonograph or on her Aunt's upright piano? |
| On neither. She accompanies herself upon the banjo. |
| I think she sings almost as well as Miss S. |
| Miss S. has studied for three weeks but Marietta has a better ear. |
| What is your wife's grandmother knitting? |
| A pair of ear-tabs for my nephew Jacques. |
| Ah—then your nephew Jacques too has an ear? |
| My nephew Jacques has two ears. |
| What a musical family!" |
"Spul-lendid!" cried Whistlebinkie rapturously. "When do you think you can use that?"
"O I may be invited off to a country house to spend a week, somewhere outside of Paris," said the Unwiseman, "and if I am, and the chance comes up for me to hold that nice little chat with my host, why it will make me very popular with everybody. People like to have you take an interest in their children, especially when they are musical. Then I have learned this to get off at the breakfast-table to my hostess:
| "I have slept well. I have two mattresses and a spring mattress. |
| Will you have another pillow? |
| No thank you I have a comfortable bolster. |
| Is one blanket sufficient for you? |
| Yes, but I would like some wax candles and a box of matches." |
"That will show her that I appreciate all the comforts of her beautiful household, and at the same time feel so much at home that I am not afraid to ask for something else that I happen to want. The thing that worries me a little about the last is that there might be an electric light in the room, so that asking for a wax candle and a box of matches would sound foolish. I gather from the lesson, however, that it is customary in France to ask for wax candles and a box of matches, so I'm going to do it anyhow. There's nothing like following the customs of the natives when you can."
"I'd like to hear you say some of that in French," said Whistlebinkie.
"Oh you wouldn't understand it, Whistlebinkie," said the Unwiseman. "Still I don't mind."