July 8th /61
Schmitz[1] has made his appereance here the first Evening. he called he taxed me with having written letters to Bruges complaining of his being out in the Boat[2] and saying that I was scandalized thereby. such a letter, or letters, you know I did not write, and probably Schmitz also; but undoubtedly he wanted to ride the high horse rough short over me which as I will show you I very soon stopped I requested to know if he was sure I wrote such a letter and he replying in the affirmative I told him that it was an infernal lie and that he who said it was an infernal liar. p2That stopped his mouth for a time and he then commenced telling (in German of course as he spoke to Mr & Mrs Mertens) the most thwacking lies, that he was going to return to Bruges but that it was now within a few days of the Vacation and that he had seen the Doctor[3] mentioning his name who spoke to the Director and requested that he might come to Bonn as he was used to the Bathing and for his health he must come at least for from 2 to 2 ½ months He then tried all he could to pump and see how much German I had learnt but I told him that when I spoke it it was at my own time and pleasure and not at another’s dictation. Both Mr Mertens and Trogh know from me what lies he told that Evening the way he deceived withp3regard to the lessons I had from him and the way he will continue to deceive if they have anything to do with him. He had managed to waylay some English Lady from York on his way here and induced her to put her son a boy of ten years Old with Mr Mertens she came here with him the second day to make all the arrangements and luckily for her I may say hearing that there was an Englishman in the house requested to know if I would come and talk it over with her. I went and did my best to dissuade her from placing a boy so young here and concluded Schmitz being there at the time by recommending her if she did place him here to let Mr Mertens find the Masters and Send him to School and so forth paying proportionately p4Otherwise she would find the Extras come to more than the board and lodging, Schmitz had of course undertaken the tuition and from what he said whilst I was there the poor dear Lady must have supposed that it would have been tuition Gratis. The Lady than said that she would go on to Coblentz by the nights boat and think it over. 1000 to 1 if they see her again
German progresses favourably and I must now wind up