Alfred; or, The Adventures of a French Gentleman — page 167: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

140 ALFRED; OR ADVENTURES CHAPTER XX. THE DINNER-PARTY. PreciseEty as the clock struck six, Alfred De Rosann was ushered into the drawing-room at the magnificent abode of Mr. Robson. An elderly lady and two young ones were seated with the banker before a small fire, which had been lighted to give the apartment an air of cheerfulness, as the shutters were closed, and the lamps were already placed upon the table. Mr. Robson welcomed our hero with a frankness and cordiality which proved how religiously Belle-Rose had maintained the conditions of the compact to which De Rosann was disagreeably obliged by circumstances to assent. Alfred was then presented to Mrs. and the Misses Robson. He would gladly have sought an opportunity of questioning the banker alone for five minutes relative to that gentleman’s interview and proceedings with Belle-Rose; but politeness, and the entrance of two other guests, obliged him to restrain his curiosity. ‘*M. Lebrun is invariably late,” remarked Mr. Robson, con- sulting his watch, and manifesting the venial impatience of a host who is fearful that the dinner may be spoilt, or of a man of busi- ness whose appetite has been sharpened by an intense application to his affairs. ‘¢ Ah! do you expect Lebrun ?” inquired a little gentleman with a vast appendage of gold seals to his watch-chain. «© The entertaining Frenchman that speaks broken Enguish, and that I often meet at your house, Robson, do you mean?’ asked the other visitor, whose nose was adorned with an immense pair of silver spectacles. ‘¢ The same,” returned Mr. Robson. ‘«¢ T heard a rumour upon "Change to day, relative to yourself and Lebrun,” said he of the seals, addressing himself to Mr. Robson. *< Indeed! I wish he would make his appearance! But what did you hear, Mr. Goldsmith ?” inquired the banker. ‘¢That you and the Frenchman were about to form a partner- ship,” was the reply. ‘¢ There is some truth in it,” returned Mr. Robson: then seeing that De Rosann was unable to take a part in their conversation, he said to him in French, ‘ I do not know enough of your Bourse in Paris; but our Change is dreadfully scandalous. My friend on the right informs me he has already heard a report, that I am about to form a mercantile connexion with M. Lebrun,—a French gentleman whom I invited for the express purpose of meeting ou—”’ ie I offer you a thousand thanks for such kind consideration,” cried De Rosann: “but does no member of your family speak my native language ?” “¢ How silly I am!” exclaimed the banker, striking his hand upon his thigh, as if vexed with himself for not having thought of Gomiliecnooks (©) =)