If I am sent with an order, and the officer to whom I take it does not understand French, I am floored.
Of course I hand the order, if it is a written one, to him.

If it is not, but just some verbal message, asking him to call on the marshal at such and such a time, I generally make a horrible mess of it.

He gets in a rage with me, because he cannot understand me.
I get in a rage with him, for his dulness; and were it not that he generally manages to find some other officer, who does understand French, the chances are very strongly against Keith's message being attended to.
"First of all, I will take you to our quarters.

That is the house." "Why, I thought you lodged in the palace ?" "Heaven forbid! Macgregor has a room in the chief's suite of apartments.
He is senior aide-de-camp, and if there is any message to be sent late, he takes it; but that is not often the case.

Gordon lodges here with me.