Journal of a residence in Normandy / By J. Augustus St John.

  • James Augustus St. John
Date:
1831
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Journal of a residence in Normandy / By J. Augustus St John. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    29/320
    HOTEL d’ANGLETERRE. curastancos of evil omen presented themselves. The mistress of the house and her attendants looked as drowsy and spiritless as it they had been keeping watch for a month over the Seven Sleepers; and the chambermaid, who undertook to li{>'ht us to our apartments, seemed in some dau<rer of falling asleep by the w'ay. The very sight of the staircase startled us. Instead of a tine boarded flight ot stairs, with rich carpeting, confined by bright brass rods, we dis- covered a dismal series ot stone steps, dripping wet, and ascending between walls exactly in the same predicament. The suspicion might now have entered our heads, that, like young Marlowe in Goldsmith’s comedy, we had mistaken a castle tor an inn, if it had not been that the broad-faced, sturdy being in petticoats, who marched before us, candle in hand, acted as a complete check upon our imaginations. When we had reached our chamber, an immense lofty room, hung with crimson drapery, we sat down patiently for some time, waiting tor the delicious coffee, fowl, ham, &c. which our hungry tiuicy had long been feasting on; but, finding that no waiter made his appearance, and that the noises were dying away in the lower part ot the house, we began to suspect that the people, who, I suppose, had supped, were quietly going to bed, without troubling them- selves any farther about us. Upon ringing tor one of the chambermaids, I found that this was actually the case. There was neither milk nor cream in the house—it was too late to get any — and coffee with- out either was out of the question. Fowls, wine, &c. she informed us, Ave might have; but we were now out of temper, and nothing rvould do. Upon my complaining to the servant of this stupid piece of neglect and mismanagement, observing that the children ivere hungry, and would feel the want of the coffee, she replied, Avith infinite composure, that “ they would go to sleep, and forget it!” — AA'hich, of course, they did. Ne.xt morning, feeling no disposition AA'hatever to
    No text description is available for this image
    No text description is available for this image
    No text description is available for this image