"
"What are you so anxious to learn French for?"
"Mamma knows it, and I have often heard her talk French with a
great many people; and papa and I always wanted to be able to
talk it too; and Mamma wanted me to learn it; she said there
were a great many French books I ought to read."
"That last is true, no doubt. Ellen, I will make a bargain
with you, — if you will study English with me, I will study
French with you."
"Dear Miss Alice," said Ellen, caressing her, "I'll do it
without that; I'll study anything you please."
"Dear Ellen, I believe you would. But I should like to know it
for my own sake; we'll study it together; we shall get along
nicely, I have no doubt; we can learn to read it at least, and
that is the main point."
"But how shall we know what to call the words?" said Ellen,
doubtfully.
"That is a grave question," said Alice, smiling. "I am afraid
we should hit upon a style of pronunciation that a Frenchman
would make nothing of. I have it!" she exclaimed, clapping her
hands; "where there's a will there's a way — it always happens
so. Ellen, I have an old friend upon the mountain who will
give us exactly what we want, unless I am greatly mistaken.
We'll go and see her; that is the very thing! — my old friend
Mrs. Vawse."
"Mrs. Vawse!" repeated Ellen; "not the grandmother of that
Nancy Vawse?"
"The very same. Her name is not Vawse — the country people
call it so, and I being one of the country people have fallen
into the way of it; but her real name is Vosier.
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