vertency, or a disposition to relajise into
their former economical modes of living,
to which they give a decided preference.
The habits of the Genevese ladies are
not, in some respects, so well suited to ensure
domestic comfort as those of English
ladies in the middle class of society ;
for even those who keep pensions for their
support, would consider it as a great degradation
to superintend the purchase of provisions
; the business of marketing is, therefore,
left entirely to the servant, and a
strong temptation is offered for collusion
with the butcher, or other tradespeople.
I t is but justice to state, that during the
two winters we were at Geneva, we found
both the families with whom we were en
pension, always desirous to make our residence
agreeable, and ever ready to order
such changes in the mode of living as were
more suited to English habits. One of
these pensions was kept by two respectable
elderly ladies, of an ancient family, but
their fortunes had been injured by the
French revolution. Mademoiselle P. was the
principal manager, her sister being an invalid.
Mademoiselle P., when young, had
been both a beauty and a wit, but what is remarkable,
her temper and disposition remained
unspoiled, even in advanced life,
and she preserved also much of her former
vivacity, with an amiable urbanity of manners,
which procured her the regard of all
who knew her. She had seen many changes
in Geneva, and had taken a deep interest
in political events, and was full of
amusing anecdote. She was devotedly attached
to the honour of her little republic,
and would have resented any reflection
upon it, more strongly than upon herself;
indeed she could not tolerate those historians
who recorded any thing bad or ridiculous
ill the customs or laws of the Genevese.
One day, when speaking against the
intolerance of the law, which will not suffer
a Jew to remain longer than one night in
Geneva, I said, “ were St. Paul or St.
Peter, or any of the apostles, to come here,
you would drive them out of the town.”
She instantly replied, 7 Menez les ici. Monsieur,
et nous verronsP As our qiieen Elizabeth
could not bear any shade in her
picture, so Mademoiselle P. would have
that of Geneva drawn with none but
the most brilliant colours. Yet, with singular
inconsistency, she was a zealous
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