I once had another blog about books called The Residence of the Gods. I placed advertisements on it, not just for Google, but also for other companies. One of these was an American Company that I prefer not mention by name. Our association was simple, but our preliminary exchanges required some clarification and our letters and e-mails were more numerous than usual in this type of business.
The first e-mail I received was signed by a certain J. Collins. I need not say of whom I immediately thought!
I replied in my best English: “Dear Mr. Collins ...”
The next e-mail Mr. Collins sent was less formal and signed with just a “J”. So I answered to “J”. But in my next message I could not restrain myself and I went back to writing: “Dear Mr. Collins,” which I used until our last correspondence.
I am sure that my dear Mr. J. Collins has never received so many formal letters conducting business over the internet. Poor dear. What he must have thought of me! A crazy Lady (de Brazil) from the Tropics.
David Bamber, my favourite Mr. Collins, in Pride and Prejudice, 1995
Posted by Raquel Sallaberry, Jane Austen em Português
