Having no great familiarity with English, he provided himself with a copy of one of the dictionaries I have mentioned; and, on being announced to the lady, he determined to open his proposal with this introductory sentence--Madam, having heard that Mr.X., late your husband, is dead: but coming to the last word 'gestorben' (dead), he was at a loss for the English equivalent; so, hastily pulling out his dictionary (a huge 8vo.), he turned to the word 'sterben,' (to die),--and there found----; but what he found will be best collected from the dialogue which followed, as reported by the lady:-- _German._ Madam, hahfing heard that Mein Herr X., late your man, is----( these words he kept chiming over as if to himself, until he arrived at No.

1 of the interpretations of 'sterben,'-- when he roared out, in high glee at his discovery)----is, dat is--has, _kicked de bucket_.
_Widow._ (With astonishment.)--'Kicked the bucket,' Sir!--what-- _German._ Ah! mein Gott!--Alway Ich make mistake: I vou'd have said--( beginning again with the same solemnity of tone)--since dat Mein Herr X., late your man, hav--_hopped de twig_--( which words he screamed out with delight, certain that he had now hit the nail upon the head).
_Widow._ Upon my word, Sir, I am at a loss to understand you: 'Kicked the bucket,' and 'hopped the twig----!' _German._ (Perspiring with panic.) Ah, Madam! von--two--tree--ten tousand pardon: vat sad, wicket dictionary I haaf, dat alway bring me in trouble: but now you shall hear--( and then, recomposing himself solemnly for a third effort, he began as before)--Madam, since I did hear, or wash hearing, dat Mein Herr X., late your man, haaf--( with a triumphant shout) haaf, I say, _gone to Davy's locker_---- [27] What I mean is this.

Vernacular (from _verna_, a slave born in his master's house).

1.

The homely idiomatic language in opposition to any mixed jargon, or lingua franca, spoken by an imported slave:--2.