Delille, "you were the only one that did _that,_ at all
events. No one hangs up his napkin in that style; they are
contented with placing it on their knees. And what did you,
do when you took your soup?" "Like the others, I believe. I
took my spoon in one hand, and my fork in the other--" "Your
fork! Who ever eat soup with a fork?--But to proceed; after
your soup, what did you eat?" "A fresh egg." "And what did
you do with the shell?" "Handed it to the servant who stood
behind my chair." "With out breaking it?" "Without breaking
it, of course." "Well, my dear Abb,, nobody ever eats an egg
without breaking the shell. And after your egg--?" "I asked
the Abb, Radonvillers to send me a piece of the hen near
him." "Bless my soul! a piece of the _hen_? You never speak
of hens excepting in the barn-yard. You should have asked for
fowl or chicken. But you say nothing of your mode of
drinking." "Like all the rest, I asked for _claret_ and
_champagne._" "Let me inform you, then, that persons always
ask for _claret wine_ and _champagne wine._ But, tell me, how
did you eat your bread?" "Surely I did that properly. I cut
it with my knife, in the most regular manner possible."
"Bread should always be broken, not cut. But the coffee, how
did you manage it?" "It was rather too hot, and I poured a
little of it into my saucer." "Well, you committed here the
greatest fault of all. You should never pour your coffee
into the saucer, but always drink it from the cup." The poor
Abb, was confounded. He felt that though one might be master
of the seven sciences, yet that there was another species of
knowledge which, if less dignified, was equally important.

This occurred many years ago, but there is not one of the