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Authors: Nancy Mitford
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loony kissing again,’ Sigi appeared in the window, ‘over the pathless Himalayas, that’s where I’ve come.’
‘Yes, I wondered how long it would be before you found the way,’ said Charles-Edouard.
‘Shall I tell you something? I’ve just seen the Daily , and Garth has renounced the love of women.’
‘Oh, he’s like that, is he?’
‘He’s an Effendi now. What’s an Effendi, Papa?’
‘Talk about taxing his brain,’ said Charles-Edouard.
‘Well I know, but if it wasn’t for Garth and Dick Barton he’d never go near the nursery, and poor Nanny would have a stroke looking for him on the roof and in the vineyards all day.’
‘Now, Sigismond, just go back over those trackless paths, will you?’
‘In other words, run along and off with you. All right, if I must.’
‘M. I’Abbé talks about teaching him Latin.’
‘Yes?’ Charles-Edouard was opening his letters.
‘Seems rather a waste of time?’
‘Latin is a waste of time?’ he said, putting a letter in his pocket and looking at Grace with surprise. ‘Surely he must learn it before he goes to Eton?’
‘Well it won’t be the right pronunciation. Do we want Sigi to go to Eton?’
‘Why not, for a bit? Then he can be top in English when he goes to St Cyr.’
‘But I don’t think they can go to Eton for a bit. Oh dear, I thought the thing about being French was you had your blessing always at home.’
‘Do we always want him at home?’
‘I do. Anyway, you have to be put down for Eton before your parents are married now – long before you are conceived, so I think this dream will come to nothing.’
Charles-Edouard, who was still reading his letters, said, ‘Brighton College then, it’s all the same.’
‘Please can I come to the sea with you?’
‘Not today, darling. We’re lunching with some grown-up people.’
‘It is unfair. I want to take a photograph of a huge, frightened wave.’
‘But today it will be flat calm. Next time there’s a mistral we’ll take you.’
‘I’m so hot. I do so want to bathe.’
‘Don’t you bathe in the fountain, with Canari?’
‘I’m brouillé with le chef .’
‘Not brouillé with Canari?’
‘Yes I am. It was convenu that the maquisards should come here and be chasseurs alpins on the roof one day and the next I should spend with them doing sabotage in the village. Well, they came here, and yesterday I went down to the village and he was under the lime trees with les braves , and he said, “ va-t-en. On ne veut pas de toi .”’
‘But why, Sigi?’
‘I don’t know. But I don’t care, not a bit. I want to go to the sea and swim under water and spear an octopus.’
‘When you are older.’
‘When shall I be older?’
‘All in due course. Run along now and find M. l’Abbé.’
‘He is reading his bréviaire .’
‘Well, Nanny then. Anyway, run along, darling.’
That night, at dinner, Madame de Valhubert said, ‘Do you know our poor little maquisard spent the whole afternoon by himself in the salon? He looked the picture of woe. In the end Régine and I had to play cards with him for very pity.’
‘It’s that wretched Canari,’ said Grace, ‘he has sent him packing, and nobody knows why. Oh, I do hope they’ll make it up soon, or the poor duck will have no more fun at all. I feel quite worried. Couldn’t you go down and speak to M. Mignon, Charles-Edouard, and find out what it is?’
Charles-Edouard laughed, looked round the table at the others, who were all smiling, and said, ‘Alas, my influence with Mignon is but limited, I fear.’
‘But why? He made that nice speech.’
‘That was the solidarité de la libération . It just held long enough for him to make the speech. Now we are back among all the old feuds again. A very good sign that peace is really here.’
‘M. le Curé, couldn’t you do something?’ said Grace.
At this there was a general laugh. M. le Curé lifted his hands, saying that Grace did not quite grasp the
‘Yes, I wondered how long it would be before you found the way,’ said Charles-Edouard.
‘Shall I tell you something? I’ve just seen the Daily , and Garth has renounced the love of women.’
‘Oh, he’s like that, is he?’
‘He’s an Effendi now. What’s an Effendi, Papa?’
‘Talk about taxing his brain,’ said Charles-Edouard.
‘Well I know, but if it wasn’t for Garth and Dick Barton he’d never go near the nursery, and poor Nanny would have a stroke looking for him on the roof and in the vineyards all day.’
‘Now, Sigismond, just go back over those trackless paths, will you?’
‘In other words, run along and off with you. All right, if I must.’
‘M. I’Abbé talks about teaching him Latin.’
‘Yes?’ Charles-Edouard was opening his letters.
‘Seems rather a waste of time?’
‘Latin is a waste of time?’ he said, putting a letter in his pocket and looking at Grace with surprise. ‘Surely he must learn it before he goes to Eton?’
‘Well it won’t be the right pronunciation. Do we want Sigi to go to Eton?’
‘Why not, for a bit? Then he can be top in English when he goes to St Cyr.’
‘But I don’t think they can go to Eton for a bit. Oh dear, I thought the thing about being French was you had your blessing always at home.’
‘Do we always want him at home?’
‘I do. Anyway, you have to be put down for Eton before your parents are married now – long before you are conceived, so I think this dream will come to nothing.’
Charles-Edouard, who was still reading his letters, said, ‘Brighton College then, it’s all the same.’
‘Please can I come to the sea with you?’
‘Not today, darling. We’re lunching with some grown-up people.’
‘It is unfair. I want to take a photograph of a huge, frightened wave.’
‘But today it will be flat calm. Next time there’s a mistral we’ll take you.’
‘I’m so hot. I do so want to bathe.’
‘Don’t you bathe in the fountain, with Canari?’
‘I’m brouillé with le chef .’
‘Not brouillé with Canari?’
‘Yes I am. It was convenu that the maquisards should come here and be chasseurs alpins on the roof one day and the next I should spend with them doing sabotage in the village. Well, they came here, and yesterday I went down to the village and he was under the lime trees with les braves , and he said, “ va-t-en. On ne veut pas de toi .”’
‘But why, Sigi?’
‘I don’t know. But I don’t care, not a bit. I want to go to the sea and swim under water and spear an octopus.’
‘When you are older.’
‘When shall I be older?’
‘All in due course. Run along now and find M. l’Abbé.’
‘He is reading his bréviaire .’
‘Well, Nanny then. Anyway, run along, darling.’
That night, at dinner, Madame de Valhubert said, ‘Do you know our poor little maquisard spent the whole afternoon by himself in the salon? He looked the picture of woe. In the end Régine and I had to play cards with him for very pity.’
‘It’s that wretched Canari,’ said Grace, ‘he has sent him packing, and nobody knows why. Oh, I do hope they’ll make it up soon, or the poor duck will have no more fun at all. I feel quite worried. Couldn’t you go down and speak to M. Mignon, Charles-Edouard, and find out what it is?’
Charles-Edouard laughed, looked round the table at the others, who were all smiling, and said, ‘Alas, my influence with Mignon is but limited, I fear.’
‘But why? He made that nice speech.’
‘That was the solidarité de la libération . It just held long enough for him to make the speech. Now we are back among all the old feuds again. A very good sign that peace is really here.’
‘M. le Curé, couldn’t you do something?’ said Grace.
At this there was a general laugh. M. le Curé lifted his hands, saying that Grace did not quite grasp the
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