Excerpt: ...They just sent word for you to go to the office . go on," he said, roughly. She hurried off. She could not understand. If it was a matter of helping Mombleux with a translation, why should she have to go to the office, where everyone could see her and know that he had had to ask for her help? She quickly went up the steps, where she saw Talouel standing outside waiting for her. "Are you the girl who speaks English?" he asked. "Now, no lies, 'cause you speak French without an accent." "My mother was English and ...
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Excerpt: ...They just sent word for you to go to the office . go on," he said, roughly. She hurried off. She could not understand. If it was a matter of helping Mombleux with a translation, why should she have to go to the office, where everyone could see her and know that he had had to ask for her help? She quickly went up the steps, where she saw Talouel standing outside waiting for her. "Are you the girl who speaks English?" he asked. "Now, no lies, 'cause you speak French without an accent." "My mother was English and my father was French," replied Perrine, "so I speak both languages." "Good. You are to go to Saint-Pipoy. Monsieur Paindavoine wants you." She was so surprised at this news that she stood staring at the manager in amazement. "Well, stupid?" he said. Pg 159 As though to excuse herself, she said: "I was taken aback. I'm a stranger here and I don't know where Saint-Pipoy is." "You won't be lost; you are to go in the carriage," said the manager. "Here, William." M. Paindavoine's horse and carriage, which had been standing in the shade, now drew up. "Here's the girl," said the manager to a young man. "Take her to M. Paindavoine quickly." Perrine was already down the steps, and was about to take her seat beside William when he stopped her with a sign of his hand. "Not here; take the back seat," he said. There was a narrow seat for one person at the back. She got up into it and they started off at a brisk trot. When they had left the village behind William, slacking the horse's speed, turned round to Perrine. "You're going to have a chance to please the boss," he said. "How so?" asked Perrine. "He's got some English mechanics come over to put a machine together, and they can't understand each other. He's got M. Mombleux there, who says he can speak English, but if he does it isn't the same English as these Englishmen speak. They keep on jabbering, but don't seem to understand, and the boss is mad. It makes you split your sides to hear 'em. At last...
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Wanting to give a gift book to a 10-year-old reader, I began a search for a classic work I remembered from my childhood: Hector Malot's beautiful story of an intrepid young French girl who is left orphaned and penniless in the outskirts of Paris--"Nobody's Girl," (also called "The Adventures of Perrine"). It was published in English in 1926, with lovely illustrations. The book is not just a wonderful adventure story of a young child in search of a grandfather she has never met, surviving by her wits; it gives a fascinating picture of French provincial life in the late 19th century. I hope to see an authentic reprint of it (and it's companion book, "Nobody's Boy") in the near future.