_May 29th._--As we rather wanted some person to assist our servants,
Nannette, the German servant we had at Passy, was sent for. She was
most useful in going messages, as she would run all day; several people
said they were sure she was not a French woman, she was so active.
She, however, had most of the French habits; if she was making a bed,
or doing anything else, if she heard anything, down went her work and
off she went to see what was the matter. She never could do without
going to _promener_ in the evening, and going for a day up to Paris
once every week. Nannette also copied the French in eating; besides
taking the same meals as our other servants, she used to be continually
eating at odd times. Sometimes she cooked herself some _potage_, or
else she asked for _pain_ and _quelque chose_; one day she eat half a
tureen of cold sorrel soup soon after breakfast; and frequently cold
meat and bread. Besides all this, she never went out without buying
herself fruit. Her language was a strange mixture of French, English,
and German. She hated the French, and used to be very rude to them:
they in return could not bear her; they used to call her a Prussian.
Our dancing master once said, 'La Prusse est la plus vile de toutes les
nations de l'Europe.' If Nannette cleaned a room, she used to throw a
pail of water over the floor till the water ran into the passage. The
French say themselves, that nothing has spoiled the servants like the
Revolution: if anything offends them they will go off; and frequently
choose to leave you when you have company, or some time when you most
want them.