As regards his qualifications for addressing Frenchmen, a year of his prae-neptunal time had been spent in their capital city for the purpose of acquiring French of Paris, its latest refinements of pronunciation and polish, and the art of conversing.

He had read the French tragic poets and Moliere; he could even relish the Gallic-classic--'Qu'il mourut!' and he spoke French passably, being quite beyond the Bullish treatment of the tongue.
Writing a letter in French was a different undertaking.

The one he projected bore no resemblance to an ordinary letter.

The briefer the better, of course; but a tone of dignity was imperative, and the tone must be individual, distinctive, Nevil Beauchamp's, though not in his native language.

First he tried his letter in French, and lost sight of himself completely.