me of our hostess and family by a Colonel Barry, who
with his lady and children had resided some time with
Madame Fournier, and they assured me that we should
find we had chanced upon most worthy people, who would
do all in their power to make us comfortable; but
it so happened that the Colonel and his family were
persons of most conciliating manners, devoid of hauteur
in their demeanour, possessing in fact the very qualities
calculated to propitiate a good feeling on the part
of the French. After we had been in the house
some time, we observed to those persons who assured
us we should be so ill treated, that we found the case
quite the reverse; and, the answer was, wait until
the time comes when, you are about to depart, and
then when you are called upon to produce the plates,
crockery, glasses, knives, forks, etc., you will
see who you have to deal with; if there be any thing
in the slightest degree chipped, they will make you
pay extravagantly for damages. But when at last
the awful day of departure arrived, I had every thing
collected of the description alluded to, and Madame
Fournier would not even look at them, and observed
if there were any thing injured she was sure it was
to so trifling an amount that it was not worth noticing.
But it was not so with an English lady who was our
fellow lodger; towards her they certainly were neither
obliging in their manner nor disposed to render her
any kind of accommodation beyond the strict letter
of their agreement; and the reason was, because she
always addressed them as if she was speaking to her
servants; in short, with an arrogance of manner that
they could not brook. Thus whilst they were continually
practising little civilities and attentions towards
us, which greatly contributed to our comfort,
they were following a totally opposite system towards
her, which rendered her very uncomfortable;
therefore, had that lady properly studied her happiness,
she would have conducted herself towards her hostess
and family in a very different manner, and I hope my
readers who visit France will take advantage of the
hint; yet I must admit that the lady in question was
a very amiable personage in every other respect, but
she detested the French, and liked, as she observed,
to pull down their pride, to make them feel their
inferiority, and let them know that the English were
their masters. Madame Fournier, however, was
of a class superior to the generality of persons who
let lodgings in England; she was possessed of an independent
property, her eldest daughter was married to a Colonel,
and her son a lieutenant in the navy, but like many
of the French, having a house considerably larger than
she could occupy, she let a part of it. I should
always however recommend the English when they are
taking a house or apartment for any length of time,
or in fact entering into any engagement of importance
with the French, to have an agreement in writing,
in case of misunderstanding, which may arise from