_salon_. They consist of coffee and rolls, and are served by a
droll, snappish little _garcon_ with no teeth, and an Italian-French
patois which is very hard to understand when he sputters. He told me
the other day that he had been a _garcon_ for forty-six years, which
seemed rather a long boyhood.

"The company, as we meet them at table, are rather entertaining.
Cousin Olivia and Lilly are on their best behavior to me because I
am travelling with Mrs. Ashe, and Mrs. Ashe is Lieutenant
Worthington's sister, and Lieutenant Worthington is Lilly's admirer,
and they like him very much. In fact, Lilly has intimated
confidentially that she is all but engaged to him; but I am not sure
about it, or if that was what she meant; and I fear, if it proves
true, that dear Polly will not like it at all. She is quite
unmanageable, and snubs Lilly continually in a polite way, which
makes me fidgety for fear Lilly will be offended, but she never
seems to notice it. Cousin Olivia looks very handsome and gorgeous.
She quite takes the color out of the little Russian Countess who
sits next to her, and who is as dowdy and meek as if she came from
Akron or Binghampton, or any other place where countesses are
unknown. Then there are two charming, well-bred young Austrians. The
one who sits nearest to me is a 'Candidat' for a Doctorate of Laws,
and speaks eight languages well. He has only studied English for the
past six weeks, but has made wonderful progress. I wish my French
were half as good as his English is already.

"There is a very gossiping young woman on the story beneath ours,
whom I meet sometimes in the garden, and from her I hear all manner
of romantic tales about people in the house. One little French girl
is dying of consumption and a broken heart, because of a quarrel