autobiography of a pocket-handkerchief-第5章

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in　constant　use；　and　certain　crevices　beneath　the　counter　enabled　us　to
see　a　little；　and　to　hear　more；　of　what　passed　in　the　magazin。　We　were
in　a　part　of　the　shop　most　frequented　by　ladies；　and　we　overheard　a　few
tete…a…tetes　that　were　not　without　amusement。　These　generally　related
to　cancans。　Paris　is　a　town　in　which　cancans　do　not　usually　flourish；
their　proper　theatre　being　provincial　and　trading　places；　beyond　a
question；　still　there　ARE　cancans　at　Paris；　for　all　sorts　of　persons
frequent　that　centre　of　civilization。　The　only　difference　is；　that　in　the
social　pictures　offered　by　what　are　called　cities；　the　cancans　are　in　the
strongest　light；　and　in　the　most　conspicuous　of　the　grouping；　whereas　in
Paris　they　are　kept　in　shadow；　and　in　the　background。　Still　there　are
cancans　at　Paris；　and　cancans　we　overheard；　and　precisely　in　the
manner　I　have　related。　Did　pretty　ladies　remember　that　pocket…
handkerchiefs　have　ears；　they　might　possibly　have　more　reserve　in　the
indulgence　of　this　extraordinary　propensity。

｛cancans　=　scandals　（French　slang）｝

We　had　been　near　a　month　in　the　drawer；　when　I　recognized　a　female
voice　near　us；　that　I　had　often　heard　of　late；　speaking　in　a　confident　and
decided　tone；　and　making　allusions　that　showed　she　belonged　to　the
court。　I　presume　her　position　there　was　not　of　the　most　exalted　kind；　yet
it　was　sufficiently　so　to　qualify　her；　in　her　own　estimation；　to　talk　politics。
〃Les　ordonnances〃　were　in　her　mouth　constantly；　and　it　was　easy　to
perceive　that　she　attached　the　greatest　importance　to　these　ordinances；
whatever　they　were；　and　fancied　a　political　millennium　was　near。　The
shop　was　frequented　less　than　usual　that　day；　the　next　it　was　worse　still；
in　the　way　of　business；　and　the　clerks　began　to　talk　loud；　also；　about　les
ordonnances。　The　following　morning　neither　windows　nor　doors　were
opened；　and　we　passed　a　gloomy　time　of　uncertainty　and　conjecture。
There　were　ominous　sounds　in　the　streets。　Some　of　us　thought　we　heard
the　roar　of　distant　artillery。　At　length　the　master　and　mistress　appeared
by　themselves　in　the　shop；　money　and　papers　were　secured；　and　the
female　was　just　retiring　to　an　inner　room；　when　she　suddenly　came　back
to　the　counter；　opened　our　drawer；　seized　us　with　no　very　reverent
hands；　and；　the　next　thing　we　knew；　the　whole　twelve　of　us　were　thrust
into　a　trunk　upstairs；　and　buried　in　Egyptian　darkness。　From　that
moment　all　traces　of　what　was　occurring　in　the　streets　of　Paris　were　lost
to　us。　After　all；　it　is　not　so　very　disagreeable　to　be　only　a　pocket…
handkerchief　in　a　revolution。

｛Les　ordonnances　=　four　decrees　establishing　absolute　rule；　issued　by
King　Charles　X　on　July　25；　1830；　which　touched　off　the　July
Revolution；　leading　to　his　abdication　on　July　31；　and　the　installation　of
the　Duke　of　Orleans　as　Louis　Philippe　I；　King　of　the　FrenchCooper
was　living　in　Paris　during　this　period；　though　he　returned　there　from　Italy
and　Germany　a　few　days　after　the　July　Revolution　itself；　and　he　was　a
close　friend　of　the　Marquis　de　Lafayette　who　played　a　major　part　in　the
Revolution　and　its　aftermath；　for　Cooper　and　many　others；　the　ultimate
results　of　the　Revolution　were　a　serious　disappointment；　since　the　new
King　seemed　rapidly　to　become　almost　as　conservative　as　the　old｝

Our　imprisonment　lasted　until　the　following　December。　As　our　feelings
had　become　excited　on　the　questions　of　the　day；　as　well　as　those　of
other　irrational　beings　around　us；　we　might　have　passed　a　most
uncomfortable　time　in　the　trunk；　but　for　one　circumstance。　So　great　had
been　the　hurry　of　our　mistress　in　thus　shutting　us　up；　that　we　had　been
crammed　in　in　a　way　to　leave　it　impossible　to　say　which　was　the　cote
droit；　and　which　the　cote　gauche。　Thus　completely　deranged　as　parties；
we　took　to　discussing　philosophical　matters　in　general；　an　occupation
well　adapted　to　a　situation　that　required　so　great　an　exercise　of
discretion。

One　day；　when　we　least　expected　so　great　a　change；　our　mistress　came
in　person；　searched　several　chests；　trunks　and　drawers；　and　finally
discovered　us　where　she　had　laid　us；　with　her　own　hands；　near　four
months　before。　It　seems　that；　in　her　hurry　and　fright；　she　had　actually
forgotten　in　what　nook　we　had　been　concealed。　We　were　smoothed
with　care；　our　political　order　reestablished；　and　then　we　were　taken
below　and　restored　to　the　dignity　of　the　select　circle　in　the　drawer
already　mentioned。　This　was　like　removing　to　a　fashionable　square；　or
living　in　a　beau　quartier　of　a　capital。　It　was　even　better　than　removing
from　East　Broadway　into　bona　fide；　real；　unequaled；　league…long；　eighty
feet　wide；　Broadway！

｛beau　quartier　=　swanky　neighborhood　；　Broadway　=　in　New　York
City；　of　course｝

We　now　had　an　opportunity　of　learning　some　of　the　great　events　that
had　recently　occurred　in　France；　and　which　still　troubled　Europe。　The
Bourbons　were　again　dethroned；　as　it　was　termed；　and　another
Bourbon　seated　in　their　place。　It　would　seem　il　y　a　Bourbon　et
Bourbon。　The　result　has　since　shown　that　〃what　is　bred　in　the　bone　will
break　out　in　the　flesh。〃　Commerce　was　at　a　standstill；　our　master　passed
half　his　time　under　arms；　as　a　national　guard；　in　order　to　keep　the
revolutionists　from　revolutionizing　the　revolution。　The　great　families　had
laid　aside　their　liveries；　some　of　them　their　coaches；　most　of　them　their
arms。　Pocket…handkerchiefs　of　OUR　calibre　would　be　thought
decidedly　aristocratic；　and　aristocracy　in　Paris；　just　at　that　moment；　was
almost　in　as　bad　odor　as　it　is　in　America；　where　it　ranks　as　an　eighth
deadly　sin；　though　no　one　seems　to　know　precisely　what　it　means。　In
the　latter　country；　an　honest　development　of　democracy　is　certain　to　be
stigmatized　as　tainted　with　this　crime。　No　governor　would　dare　to
pardon　it。

｛il　y　a　Bourbon　et　Bourbon　=　there　are　Bourbons　and　Bourbons　　（i。e。；
they're　all　the　same）；　〃What　is　bred　in　the　bone。。。。〃　=　a　possibly
deliberate　misquotation　of　〃It　will　not　out　of　the　flesh　that　is　bred　in　the
bone〃　from　John　Heywood；　〃Proverbes〃；　Part　II；　Chapter　VIII　（1546）｝

The　groans　over　the　state　of　trade　were　loud　and　deep　among　those
who　lived　by　its　innocent　arts。　Still；　the　holidays　were　near；　and　hope
revived。　If　revolutionized　Paris　would　not　buy　as　the　jour　de　l'an
approached；　Paris　must　have　a　new　dynasty。　The　police　　foresaw　this；
and　it　ceased　to　agitate；　in　order　to　bring　the　republicans　into　discredit；
men　must　eat；　and　trade　was　permitted　to　revive　a　little。　Alas！　how　little
do　they　who　vote；　know　WHY　they　vote；　or　they　who　dye　their　hands
in　the　blood　of　their　kind；　why　the　deed　has　been　done！

｛jour　de　l'an　=　New　Years　Day｝

The　duchesse　had　not　returned　to　Paris；　neither　had　she　emigrated。　Like
most　of　the　high　nobility；　who　rightly　enough　believed　that　primogeniture
and　birth　were　of　the　last　importance　to　THEM；　she　preferred　to　show
her　distaste　for　the　present　order　of　things；　by　which　the　youngest　prince
of　a　numerous　family　had　been　put　upon　the　throne　of　the　oldest；　by
remaining　at　her　chateau。　All　expectations　of　selling　us　to　HER　were
abandoned；　and　we　were　thrown　fairly　into　the　market；　on　the　great
principle　of　liberty　and　equality。　This　was　as　became　a　republican　reign。

Our　prospects　were　varied　daily。　The　dauphine；　madame；　and　all　the　de
Rochefoucaulds；　de　la　Tremouilles；　de　Grammonts；　de　Rohans；　de
Crillons；　&c。　&c。；　were　out　of　the　question。　The　royal　family　were　in
England；　the　Orleans　branch　excepted；　and　the　high　nobility　were　very
generally　on　their　〃high　ropes；〃　or；　a　bouder。　As　for　the　bankers；　their
reign　had　not　yet　fairly　commenced。　Previously　to　July；　1830；　this
estimable　class　of　citizens　had　not　dared　to　indulge　their　native　tastes　for
extravagance　and　parade；　the　grave　dignity　and　high　breeding　of　a　very
ancient　but　impoverished　nobility　holding　them　in　some　restraint；　and；
then；　THEIR　fortunes　were　still　uncertain；　the　funds　were　not　firm；　and
even　the　honorable　and　worthy　Jacques　Lafitte；　a　man　to　ennoble　any
calling；　was　shaking　in　credit。　Had　we　been　brought　into　the　market　a
twelvemonth　later；　there　is　no　question　that　we　should　have　been　caught
up　within　a　week；　by　the　wife　or　daughter　of　some　of　the　operatives　at
the　Bourse。

｛de　Rochefoucaulds；　etc。　=　various　French　noble　families；　a　bouder　=
silent；　Jacques　Lafitte　=　French　financier　（1767…1844）　who　supported
the　1830　July　Revolution；　Bourse　=　stock　exchange｝

As　it　was；　however；　we　enjoyed　ample　leisure　for　observation　and
thought。　Again　and　again　were　we　shown　to　those　who；　it　was　thought；
could　not　fail　to　yield　to　our　beauty；　but　no　one　would　purchase。　All
appeared　to　eschew　aristocracy；　even　in　their　pocket…handkerchiefs。
The　day　the　fleurs　de　lys　were　cut　out　of　the　medallions　of　the　treasury；
and　the　king　laid　down　his　arms；　I　thought　our　mistress　would　have　had
the　hysterics　on　our　account。　Little　did　she　understand　human　nature；　for
the　nouveaux　riches；　who　are　as　certain　to　succeed　an　old　and
displaced　class　of　superiors；　as　hungry　flies　to　follow　flies　with　full
bellies；　would　have　been　much　more　apt　to　run　into　extravagance　and
folly；　than　persons　always　accustomed　to　money；　and　who　did　not
depend　on　its　exhibition　for　their　importance。　A　day　of　deliverance；
notwithstanding；　was　at　hand；　which　to　me　seemed　like　the　bridal　of　a
girl　dying　to　rush　into　the　dissipations　of　society。

｛fleurs　de　lys　=　symbol　of　the　Bourbon　monarchs｝



CHAPTER　V。

The　holidays　were　over；　without　there　being　any　material　revival　of
trade；　when　my　deliverance　unexpectedly　occurred。　It　was　in　February；
and　I　do　believe　our　mistress　had　abandoned　the　expectation　of
disposing　of　us　that　season；　when　I　heard　a　gentle　voice　speaking　near
the　counter；　one　day；　in　tones　which　struck　me　as　familiar。　It　was　a
female；　of　course；　and　her　inquiries　were　about　a　piece　of　cambric
handkerchiefs；　which　she　said　had　been　sent　to　this　shop　from　a
manufactory　in　Picardie。　There　was　nothing　of　the　customary　alertness
in　the　manner　of　our　mistress；　and；　to　my　surprise；　she　even　showed　the
customer　one　or　two　pieces　of　much　inferior　quality；　before　we　were
produced。　The　moment　I　got　into　the　light；　however；　I　recognized　the
beautifully　turned　form　and　sweet　face　of　Adrienne　de　la　Rocheaimard。
The　poor　girl　was　paler　and　thinner　than　when　I　had　last　seen　her；
doubtless；　I　thought；　the　effects　of　her　late　illness；　but　I　could　not
conceal　from　myself　the　unpleasant　fact　that　she　was　much　less
expensively　clad。　I　say　less　expensively　clad；　though　the　expression　is
scarcely　just；　for　I　had　never　seen　her　in　attire　that　could　properly　be
called　expensive　at　all；　and；　yet；　the　term　mean　would　be　equally
inapplicable　to　her　present　appearance。　It　might　be　better　to　say　that；
relieved　by　a　faultless；　even　a　fastidious　neatness　and　grace；　there　was
an　air　of　severe；　perhaps　of　pinched　economy　in　her　present　attire。　This
it　was　that　had　prevented　our　mistress　from　showing　her　fabrics　as　fine
as　we；　on　the　first　demand。　Still　I　thought　there　was　a　slight　flush　on　the
cheek　of　the　poor　girl；　and　a　faint　smile　on　her　features；　as　she　instantly
recognized　us　for　old　acquaintances。　For　one；　I　own　I　was　delighted　at
finding　her　soft　fingers　again　brushing　over　my　own