Messager. — Express

401. T. and S. — This peculiarity of pronunciation, the resuit of ignorance, is well hit off in the following anecdote, which shows the origin of the almost obsolète word pa-t-à-qu 'est-ce*

NOTES. 41b

A young gentleman in a box at a théâtre happened to pick up a fan, which he offered to one of two ladies who were in the box with him, saying : " Is this fan yours, madam ? " The answer was : " Il n'est pas-t-à moi." Ile then offered it to the other, who replied : " Il n'est point-z-à moi. ' ' Upon which the young gentleman remarked : " Il n'est pas-t-à vous, — il n'est point-z-à vous, — Je ne sais pa-t-àqu'est-ce."