The people of those foreign countries are very, very ignorant. They looked curiously at the costumes we had brought from the wilds of America. They observed that we talked loudly at table sometimes. They noticed that we looked out for expenses and got what we conveniently could out of a franc, and wondered where in the mischief we came from. In Paris they just simply opened their eyes and stared when we spoke to them in French! We never did succeed in making those idiots understand their own language.

Summary

The quote highlights the arrogance and ethnocentrism of the speaker, suggesting that the people of foreign countries are ignorant because they do not understand or behave like Americans. The speaker believes that their own culture and language are superior, expressing frustration at the perceived incompetence of foreigners in understanding even their own language. This quote serves as a critique of cultural insensitivity and a reminder to approach other cultures with openness and respect rather than judgment and superiority.