"
"Obliged to follow a husband, up and down; among freebooters and dishonest
traders; in fair weather and foul; hot and cold; wet and dry; bilge-water
and salt-water; cramps and nausea; salt-junk and no junk; gales and
calms,--and all for a hasty judgment formed in sanguine youth."
The face of the valet had responded to the Alderman's enumeration of the
evils that would attend so ill-judged a step in his niece, as faithfully
as if each muscle had been a mirror, to reflect the contortions of one
suffering under the malady of the sea.
"Parbleu, c'est horrible cette mer!" he ejaculated; when the other had
done. "It is grand malheur, dere should be watair but for drink, and for
la proprete, avec fosse to keep de carp round le chateau. Mais, Mam'selle
be no haste jugement, and she shall have mari on la terre solide."
"'Twould be better, that the estate of my brother-in-law should be kept in
sight, judicious Francois, than to be sent adrift on the high seas."
"Dere vas marin dans la famille de Barberie nevair."
"Bonds and balances! if the savings of one I could name, frugal Francois,
were added in current coin the sum-total would sink a common ship. You
know it is my intention to remember Alida, in settling accounts with the
world."
"If Monsieur de Barberie vas 'live, Monsieur Alderman, he should say des
choses convenables; mais, malheureusement, mon cher, maitre est mort; and,
sair, I shall be bold to remercier pour lui, et pour toute sa famille.
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