Wednesday, July 26, 2006

Our Mutual Friend I

Am reading Our Mutual Friend at the moment: I want to quote it all. Instead am rationing myself.

"But there was a foreign gentleman among them: whom Mr. Podsnap had invited after much debate with himself - believing the whole European continent to be in mortal alliance against the young person - and there was a droll disposition, not only on the part of Mr. Podsnap but of everybody else, to treat him as if he were a child who was hard of hearing.
"As a delicate concession to this unfortunately-born foreigner, Mr. Podsnap, in receiving him, had presented his wife as 'Madame Podsnap;' also his daughter as 'Mademoiselle Podsnap,' with some inclination to add 'ma fille,' in which bold venture, however, he checked himself. The Veneerings being at that time the only other arrivals, he had added (in a condescendingly explanatory manner), 'Monsieur Vey-nair-reeng,' and had then subsided into English.
"'How Do You Like London?' Mr. Podsnap now inquired from his station of host, as if he were administering something in the nature of a powder or potion to the deaf child; 'London, Londres, London?'
"The foreign gentleman admired it.
"'You find it Very Large?' said Mr. Podsnap, spaciously.
"The foreign gentleman found it very large.
"'And Very Rich?'
"The foreign gentleman found it, without doubt, enormément riche.
"'Enormously Rich, We say,' returned Mr. Podsnap, in a condescending manner. 'Our English adverbs do Not terminate in Mong, and We Pronounce the 'ch' as if there were a 't' before it. We Say Ritch.'
"'Reetch,' remarked the foreign gentleman.
"'And Do You Find, Sir,' pursued Mr. Podsnap with dignity, 'Many Evidences that Strike You, of our British Constitution in the Streets Of The World's Metropolis, London, Londres, London?'
"The foreign gentleman begged to be pardoned, but did not altogether understand."

No comments: