She cleared her throat, and approached me, and in a few unintelligible words of bad German, spoke. I did smile, and answered her in plain American English, remarking that I had noticed that her party were Americans.
There was a sudden collapse of spirits, a queer winking and nudging of each other, and an inclination to walk away to the other end of the boat.
As I was leaving the steamer, the gentleman returned to me. “Excuse me, sir,” said he, “but you astonished our little party. May I not ask where on earth you, a Swiss, learned such perfect English? It is almost American.” “Oh! in knocking about the country here,” I answered, “and I see lots of Americans on the steamer and, when they talk, especially if it is about me, I always listen to them. Goodnight.”
I suppose that little quartette still think about the Swiss they met, with the queer necktie, who spoke the American English.
Lake Geneva.--[Page 143.]
[CHAPTER XVII]
1878
SOME RECOLLECTIONS OF MINE ABOUT GENERAL GRANT IN THE WAR--GRANT AT CHAMPION HILLS--SHERMAN’S LETTER ON CONFISCATION BY TAXATION IN AMERICA--SILVER NO “CURE ALL”--GRANT AT RAGATZ--I GIVE A BANQUET IN HIS HONOR AT ZURICH.