These brilliant conversations with foreign philosophers! These passionate interviews with foreign countesses! They fancy they have had them.
I crossed once with an English lady from Boulogne to Folkestone.

At Folkestone a little French girl--anxious about her train--asked us a simple question.

My companion replied to it with an ease that astonished herself.

The little French girl vanished; my companion sighed.
"It's so odd," said my companion, "but I seem to know quite a lot of French the moment I get back to England.".