Маленькая принцесса
A French Lesson
Sarafeltalittleawkward.
"Ithinkheengagedher,"shesaid,"becausehe—hethoughtIwouldlikeher,MissMinchin."
"Iamafraid,"saidMissMinchin,withaslightlysoursmile,"thatyouhavebeenaveryspoiledlittlegirlandalwaysimaginethatthingsaredonebecauseyoulikethem.MyimpressionisthatyourpapawishedyoutolearnFrench."
IfSarahadbeenolderorlesspunctiliousaboutbeingquitepolitetopeople,shecouldhaveexplainedherselfinaveryfewwords.But,asitwas,shefeltaflushrisingonhercheeks.MissMinchinwasaverysevereandimposingperson,andsheseemedsoabsolutelysurethatSaraknewnothingwhateverofFrenchthatshefeltasifitwouldbealmostrudetocorrecther.ThetruthwasthatSaracouldnotrememberthetimewhenshehadnotseemedtoknowFrench.Herfatherhadoftenspokenittoherwhenshehadbeenababy.HermotherhadbeenaFrenchwoman,andCaptainCrewehadlovedherlanguage,soithappenedthatSarahadalwaysheardandbeenfamiliarwithit.
"I—IhaveneverreallylearnedFrench,but—but—"shebegan,tryingshylytomakeherselfclear.
OneofMissMinchin’schiefsecretannoyanceswasthatshedidnotspeakFrenchherself,andwasdesirousofconcealingtheirritatingfact.She,therefore,hadnointentionofdiscussingthematterandlayingherselfopentoinnocentquestioningbyanewlittlepupil.
"Thatisenough,"shesaidwithpolitetartness."Ifyouhavenotlearned,youmustbeginatonce.TheFrenchmaster,MonsieurDufarge,willbehereinafewminutes.Takethisbookandlookatituntilhearrives."
