Mr.Peterkin thought this would be a good thing to learn of the foreigners.It would be a good preparation for going abroad, and they might get used to the dishes before starting.The little boys were delighted at the idea of having new things cooked.
Agamemnon had heard that beer-soup was a favorite dish with the Germans, and he would inquire how it was made in the first lesson.Solomon John had heard they were all very fond of garlic, and thought it would be a pretty attention to have some in the house the first day, that they might be cheered by the odor.
Elizabeth Eliza wanted to surprise the lady from Philadelphia by her knowledge of French, and hoped to begin on her lessons before the Philadelphia family arrived for their annual visit.
There were still some delays.Mr.Peterkin was very anxious to obtain teachers who had been but a short time in this country.He did not want to be tempted to talk any English with them.He wanted the latest and freshest languages, and at last came home one day with a list of "brand-new foreigners."They decided to borrow the Bromwicks' carryall to use, beside their own, for the first day, and Mr.Peterkin and Agamemnon drove into town to bring all the teachers out.One was a Russian gentleman, travelling, who came with no idea of giving lessons, but perhaps he would consent to do so.He could not yet speak English.
Mr.Peterkin had his card-case, and the cards of the several gentlemen who had recommended the different teachers, and he went with Agamemnon from hotel to hotel collecting them.He found them all very polite, and ready to come, after the explanation by signs agreed upon.The dictionaries had been forgotten, but Agamemnon had a directory, which looked the same, and seemed to satisfy the foreigners.
Mr.Peterkin was obliged to content himself with the Russian instead of one who could teach Sanscrit, as there was no new teacher of that language lately arrived.
But there was an unexpected difficulty in getting the Russian gentleman into the same carriage with the teacher of Arabic, for he was a Turk, sitting with a fez on his head, on the back seat!
They glared at each other, and began to assail each other in every language they knew, none of which Mr.Peterkin could understand.It might be Russian, it might be Arabic.It was easy to understand that they would never consent to sit in the same carriage.Mr.Peterkin was in despair; he had forgotten about the Russian war! What a mistake to have invited the Turk!
Quite a crowd collected on the sidewalk in front of the hotel.But the French gentleman politely, but stiffly, invited the Russian to go with him in the first carryall.Here was another difficulty.For the German professor was quietly ensconced on the back seat! As soon as the French gentleman put his foot on the step and saw him, he addressed him in such forcible language that the German professor got out of the door the other side, and came round on the sidewalk, and took him by the collar.Certainly the German and French gentlemen could not be put together, and more crowd collected!
Agamemnon, however, had happily studied up the German word "Herr," and he applied it to the German, inviting him by signs to take a seat in the other carryall.The German consented to sit by the Turk, as they neither of them could understand the other; and at last they started, Mr.Peterkin with the Italian by his side, and the French and Russian teachers behind, vociferating to each other in languages unknown to Mr.Peterkin, while he feared they were not perfectly in harmony, so he drove home as fast as possible.
Agamemnon had a silent party.The Spaniard by his side was a little moody, while the Turk and the German behind did not utter a word.
