Bertram Smith

“ We do not generally allow Sinclair to go out of the grounds at present. He is acting as the central link which makes the continuance of the social life possible to us. For I do not think that we could have undertaken (with our deplorable ignorance of French) to entertain Belgian refugees at all had he not been staying with us. As it is, it works beautifully, though Madame Mercier and her two daughters speak no English, for Sinclair's French is perfectly adequate. ”

“ You are all right in table French or even in domestic, railway or restaurant French, but as soon as we get outside of your beat into agricultural French—"
"It isn't that," said Sinclair. "I'm all right. It's that confounded fellow, Henderson. I'm hanged if I can understand a word of his Scotch. Never heard such a lingo in my life."
It is true that Henderson, who comes from some obscure district far North even of this, is a little difficult to understand. I have found him so myself.
"He said he wanted Suzanne to 'redd up the fauls,' as far as I could gather. ”