< Page:A chambermaid's diary.djvu
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stale of constant joy, of constant desire. There are already two or three fat quartermasters, two or three engineers of the squadron, very well fixed, who pay me assiduous court. Naturally, to please me, they spend a good deal. Joseph spoils them especially, for they are terrible drinkers. We have also taken four boarders. They eat with us, and every evening pay for wine and cordials, which all hands drink. They are very gallant with me, and I do my best to excite them. But I am careful not to let my manners go farther than the encouragement of commonplace ogling, equiv- ocal smiles, and illusory promises. Moreover, I have no intentions. Joseph is enough for me, and I really think I should suffer by the change, even if I had the opportunity to deceive him with the admiral. It is really funny; ugly as he is, nobody is as handsome as my Joseph. Oh! the old mon- ster ! What a hold he has taken on me ! And to think that he has always lived in the country, and has been all his life a peasant!

But where Joseph especially triumphs is in poli- tics. Thanks to him, the little cafe, whose sign, "To THE French Army," shines over the whole neighborhood, in big letters of gold by day, in big letters of fire by night, is now the official ren- dezvous of the conspicuous anti-Semites and the noisest patriots of the town. These come here to

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