Maman says it is not necessary, but I am half American, so, why not?
There was an English gentleman with a nice title in Hong Kong and maman was quite pleased with him until she discovered that he gambled or did something equally horrid and she bought our tickets for San Francisco right away." Yes, she was enjoying her travels, but she was a little lonesome; in Rouen at least she had her cousins.

For the first time in her life she was talking to a young man alone; even on the steamer she was not permitted to speak to any of the nice young men who looked as if they would like her if only maman would relent.
"In our ugly old rooms in Rouen maman cherished me like some rare little flower in an old earthen pot," she added quaintly.

"Now the pot has tinsel and tissue paper round it, but until to-night I have felt as if I might just as well be an old cabbage." But it had been heaven to dance with a young man who was not a cousin; and to sit out alone with him in the moonlight, Oh, _grace a Dieu_! Traveling she had read modern novels for the first time.

There were many in the ship's library, oh, but dozens! and she knew now how American and English girls enjoyed life.

Her mother had been ill nearly all the way over.