Egger trembled when he heard the rustle of her dress outside, the perspiration stood on his forehead as he rose and bowed before her.
"Bon jour, Monsieur," she would come in exclaiming.

"Quel un beau matin! Vous trouverez les jeunes dames et messieurs en bons esprits ce matin." The spirits of Master Felix had manifested themselves already in his skilfully standing a book upright on the teacher's chair, so that when Egger subsided from his obeisance he sat down on a sharp edge and was thrown into confusion.
"Monsieur Felix," cried his mother, "que faites-vous la ?--Les jeunes messieurs anglais sont plus spirituels que les jeunes messieurs suisses, n'est ce pas, Monsieur Egger ?" "En effet, madame," muttered the teacher, nervously arranging his books.
"Monsieur Egger," exclaimed Mrs.Tootle, with a burst of good humour, "est-ce vrai ce qu'on dit que les Suisses sont si excessivement sujets a etre _chez-malades_ ?" The awful moment had come.

What on earth did _chez-malades_ mean?
Was he to answer yes or no?
In his ignorance of her meaning, either reply might prove offensive.

He reddened, fidgeted on his chair, looked about him with an anguished mute appeal for help.

Mrs.Tootle repeated her question with emphasis and a change of countenance which he knew too well.