Note 11 — THE JOURNAL of COUNTESS FRANÇOISE KRASINSKA in the eighteenth century.

It was a generally observed custom to serve a goose with dark gravy as a polite but positive answer that the proposal of marriage was not accepted. A pumpkin put in the carriage of the young man when he was leaving had the same meaning. Until now the saying "He received a pumpkin," or "He was treated to a goose fricassee," is often used.