Through the Land of the SerbDurham, M. E. (Mary Edith)
History
Through the Land of the Serb
Durham, M. E. (Mary Edith)
Montenegro -- Description and travel; Serbia -- Description and travel
Next morning early came the money-changer. He said the innkeeper was
very much vexed, and feared that I had been annoyed by one of the
officers; which one was it? I did not know, as they all looked alike to
me, and a whole lot of them were having coffee at the other end of the
room; so I said, "It was a tall ugly one, very ignorant and very young;
I will say no more about it, because he knew no better." The
money-changer grinned, and I felt sure that the remark would be
repeated. Then he said, indicating the uniformed group, "It is very
unfortunate that it should have occurred, for these gentlemen wish to
speak to you, and they have asked me about you." "Why?" said I. He
grinned again. "You do not understand them," he said. "It is true they
are very ignorant, but they are perfectly honest. You need not be
afraid. Ils ne désirent pas vous dire des choses sales, _seulement_ ils
désirent vous marier! It is such a chance as has scarcely ever occurred.
And Someone-avich has an English wife! She is _very_ happy. What shall I
tell them?" "Tell them I have no money," said I. "That is no use," said
he; "what you call not rich, they call wealth. Perhaps what you spent
coming here even would be enough for a 'dot.'" "That is spent," I
remarked. "But you have some to return with." "Oh, tell them I don't
want to marry them," I said, rather vexed, for the man stuck so fast to
the point that I began to think he had been promised a percentage on the
deal. He laughed. "Oh, that is no use; ces Messieurs are so handsome
they believe that you would think differently if you would only speak
to them." I tried again. "Well, tell them my money cannot come out of
England." "Oh," he replied, "ces Messieurs don't mind where they live;
they will leave the Servian army and live in England--or America.
Perhaps Mademoiselle lives with her father and mother? They wouldn't
mind that at all." The idea of "them"--for it seemed "they" had to be
taken wholesale--arriving at my suburban residence was too much for me,
and I roared with laughter. He looked at me, saw his percentage was
hopeless, then he roared also.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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