Sin,—As confirmatory of the communication of "I. M. P." in
the Spectator of July 30th as to the bad manners of some English travellers, I give the story related to me by a Parisian lady whose friend, an educated gentleman, kept a shop on one of the boulevards. A sudden shower of rain coming on, two English ladies (?) came in and began pricing and rummaging over the goods, talking the while in bad French to the shop- keeper, who, however, understood English. Finally, one of the Englishwomen said to the other : " It has stopped raining; let us go." This they did without making any gracious 'remark to the gentleman who had waited on them or any ' acknowledgment of his civility. As they were going out of the door he said to them : "Ladies, you have forgotten some- thing." Turning back, they said : " What is that ?" " You forgot to say : ' Thank you for shelter from the rain." Visitors to France should know that it is almost an affront to leave even a small shop without the courtesy of saying " Bon
jour," or its equivalent.—I am, Sir, &c., H. J. S.
MR. RIDER HAGGARD'S DREAM.
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