She especially appreciated the visit from the
Bourgeois, who so rarely honored the houses of his friends by his
welcome presence. As for His Excellency, she remarked, smiling, it
was his official duty to represent the politeness of France to the
ladies of the Colony, while Herr Kalm, representing the science of
Europe, ought to be honored in every house he chose to visit,--she
certainly esteemed the honor of his presence in her own.
Amelie made her appearance in the drawing-room, and while the
visitors stayed exerted herself to the utmost to please and interest
them by taking a ready and sympathetic part in their conversation.
Her quick and cultivated intellect enabled her to do so to the
delight, and even surprise, of the three grave, learned gentlemen.
She lacked neither information nor opinions of her own, while her
speech, soft and womanly, gave a delicacy to her free yet modest
utterances that made her, in their recollections of her in the
future, a standard of comparison,--a measure of female perfections.
Le Gardeur, learning who were in the house, came down after a while
to thank the Governor, the Bourgeois, and Herr Kalm for the honor
of their visit.
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