autobiography of a pocket-handkerchief-第6章

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recognized　us　for　old　acquaintances。　For　one；　I　own　I　was　delighted　at
finding　her　soft　fingers　again　brushing　over　my　own　exquisite　surface；
feeling　as　if　one　had　been　expressly　designed　for　the　other。　Then
Adrienne　hesitated；　she　appeared　desirous　of　speaking；　and　yet
abashed。　Her　color　went　and　came；　until　a　deep　rosy　blush　settled　on
each　cheek；　and　her　tongue　found　utterance。

〃Would　it　suit　you；　madame；〃　she　asked；　as　if　dreading　a　repulse；　〃to
part　with　one　of　these？〃

〃Your　pardon；　mademoiselle；　handkerchiefs　of　this　quality　are　seldom
sold　singly。〃

〃I　feared　as　muchand　yet　I　have　occasion　for　only　ONE。　It　is　to　be
workedif　it〃

The　words　came　slowly；　and　they　were　spoken　with　difficulty。　At　that
last　uttered；　the　sound　of　the　sweet　girl's　voice　died　entirely　away。　I　fear
it　was　the　dullness　of　trade；　rather　than　any　considerations　of
benevolence；　that　induced　our　mistress　to　depart　from　her　rule。

〃The　price　of　each　handkerchief　is　five　and　twenty　francs；
mademoiselle〃　she　had　offered　the　day　before　to　sell　us　to　the　wife　of
one　of　the　richest　agents　de　change　in　Paris；　at　a　napoleon　a　piece〃the
price　is　five　and　twenty　francs；　if　you　take　the　dozen；　but　as　you　appear
to　wish　only　ONE；　rather　than　not　oblige　you；　it　may　be　had　for　eight
and　twenty。〃

｛agents　de　change　=　stockbrokers；　napoleon　=　gold　coin　worth　twenty
francs｝

There　was　a　strange　mixture　of　sorrow　and　delight　in　the　countenance　of
Adrienne；　but　she　did　not　hesitate；　and；　attracted　by　the　odor　of　the　eau
de　cologne；　she　instantly　pointed　me　out　as　the　handkerchief　she
selected。　Our　mistress　passed　her　scissors　between　me　and　my
neighbor　of　the　cote　gauche；　and　then　she　seemed　instantly　to　regret　her
own　precipitation。　Before　making　the　final　separation　from　the　piece；
she　delivered　herself　of　her　doubts。

〃It　is　worth　another　franc；　mademoiselle；〃　she　said；　〃to　cut　a
handkerchief　from　the　CENTRE　of　the　piece。〃

The　pain　of　Adrienne　was　now　too　manifest　for　concealment。　That　she
ardently　desired　the　handkerchief　was　beyond　dispute；　and　yet　there
existed　some　evident　obstacle　to　her　wishes。

〃I　fear　I　have　not　so　much　money　with　me；　madame〃　she　said；　pale　as
death；　for　all　sense　of　shame　was　lost　in　intense　apprehension。　Still　her
trembling　hands　did　their　duty；　and　her　purse　was　produced。　A　gold
napoleon　promised　well；　but　it　had　no　fellow。　Seven　more　francs
appeared　in　single　pieces。　Then　two　ten…sous　were　produced；　after
which　nothing　remained　but　copper。　The　purse　was　emptied；　and　the
reticule　rummaged；　the　whole　amounting　to　just　twenty…eight　francs
seven　sous。

｛sou　=　a　small　coin　（5　centimes）20　sous　equal　one　franc｝

〃I　have　no　more；　madame；〃　said　Adrienne；　in　a　faint　voice。

The　woman；　who　had　been　trained　in　the　school　of　suspicion；　looked
intently　at　the　other；　for　an　instant；　and　then　she　swept　the　money　into
her　drawer；　content　with　having　extorted　from　this　poor　girl　more　than
she　would　have　dared　to　ask　of　the　wife　of　the　agent　de　change。
Adrienne　took　me　up　and　glided　from　the　shop；　as　if　she　feared　her
dear　bought　prize　would　yet　be　torn　from　her。　I　confess　my　own　delight
was　so　great　that　I　did　not　fully　appreciate；　at　the　time；　all　the　hardship
of　the　case。　It　was　enough　to　be　liberated；　to　get　into　the　fresh　air；　to　be
about　to　fulfill　my　proper　destiny。　I　was　tired　of　that　sort　of　vegetation　in
which　I　neither　grew；　nor　was　watered　by　tears；　nor　could　I　see　those
stars　on　which　I　so　much　doated；　and　from　which　I　had　learned　a
wisdom　so　profound。　The　politics；　too；　were　rendering　our　family
unpleasant；　the　cote　droit　was　becoming　superciliousit　had　always
been　illogical；　while　the　cote　gauche　was　just　beginning　to　discover　that
it　had　made　a　revolution　for　other　people。　Then　it　was　happiness　itself　to
be　with　Adrienne；　and　when　I　felt　the　dear　girl　pressing　me　to　her　heart；
by　an　act　of　volition　of　which　pocket…handkerchiefs　are　little　suspected；
I　threw　up　a　fold　of　my　gossamer…like　texture；　as　if　the　air　wafted　me；
and　brushed　the　first　tear　of　happiness　from　her　eye　that　she　had　shed　in
months。

｛revolution　for　other　people　=　as　he　suggests　frequently　in　this　story；
Cooper　believed　that　the　promise　of　the　July　Revolution　was　betrayed；
and　that　the　new　government　of　King　Louis　Philippe　proved　little　better
than　the　old　reactionary　one　of　King　Charles　X；　in　this　he　shared　the
views　of　his　friend　the　Marquis　de　Lafayette；　the　hero　of　the　American
Revolution；　who　as　head　of　the　French　National　Guard　had　been　one　of
the　leaders　of　the　July　Revolution　in　Paris｝

The　reader　may　be　certain　that　my　imagination　was　all　alive　to
conjecture　the　circumstances　which　had　brought　Adrienne　de　la
Rocheaimard　to　Paris；　and　why　she　had　been　so　assiduous　in　searching
me　out；　in　particular。　Could　it　be　that　the　grateful　girl　still　intended　to
make　her　offering　to　the　Duchesse　de　d'Angouleme？　Ah！　nothat
princess　was　in　exile；　while　her　sister　was　forming　weak　plots　in　behalf
of　her　son；　which　a　double　treachery　was　about　to　defeat。　I　have
already　hinted　that　pocket…handkerchiefs　do　not　receive　and
communicate　ideas；　by　means　of　the　organs　in　use　among　human　beings。
They　possess　a　clairvoyance　that　is　always　available　under　favorable
circumstances。　In　their　case　the　mesmeritic　trance　may　be　said　to　be
ever　in　existence；　while　in　the　performance　of　their　proper　functions。　It　is
only　while　crowded　into　bales；　or　thrust　into　drawers　for　the　vulgar
purposes　of　trade；　that　this　instinct　is　dormant；　a　beneficent　nature
scorning　to　exercise　her　benevolence　for　any　but　legitimate　objects。　I
now　mean　legitimacy　as　connected　with　cause　and　effect；　and　nothing
political　or　dynastic。

｛Duchesse　d'Angouleme　=　Marie　Therese　Charlotte；　the　Dauphine；
Adrienne's　patron；　her　sister　=　her　sister…in…law　Marie　Caroline；
Duchesse　de　Berry；　who　led　an　unsuccessful　revolt　against　the　new
regime｝

By　virtue　of　this　power；　I　had　not　long　been　held　in　the　soft　hand　of
Adrienne；　or　pressed　against　her　beating　heart；　without　becoming　the
master　of　all　her　thoughts；　as　well　as　her　various　causes　of　hope　and
fear。　This　knowledge　did　not　burst　upon　me　at　once；　it　is　true；　as　is
pretended　to　be　the　case　with　certain　somnambules；　for　with　me　there　is
no　empiricismevery　thing　proceeds　from　cause　to　effect；　and　a　little
time；　with　some　progressive　steps；　was　necessary　to　make　me　fully
acquainted　with　the　whole。　The　simplest　things　became　the　first
apparent；　and　others　followed　by　a　species　of　magnetic　induction；　which
I　cannot　now　stop　to　explain。　When　this　tale　is　told；　I　propose　to　lecture
on　the　subject；　to　which　all　the　editors　in　the　country　will　receive　the
usual　free　tickets；　when　the　world　cannot　fail　of　knowing　quite　as　much；
at　least；　as　these　meritorious　public　servants。

｛somnambules　=　sleep　walkers；　editors　=　Cooper　had　very　little　respect
for　the　press｝

The　first　fact　that　I　learned；　was　the　very　important　one　that　the
vicomtesse　had　lost　all　her　usual　means　of　support　by　the　late　revolution；
and　the　consequent　exile　of　the　dauphine。　This　blow；　so　terrible　to　the
grandmother　and　her　dependent　child；　had　occurred；　too；　most
inopportunely；　as　to　time。　A　half　year's　pension　was　nearly　due　at　the
moment　the　great　change　occurred；　and　the　day　of　payment　arrived　and
passed；　leaving　these　two　females　literally　without　twenty　francs。　Had　it
not　been　for　the　remains　of　the　trousseau；　both　must　have　begged；　or
perished　of　want。　The　crisis　called　for　decision；　and　fortunately　the　old
lady；　who　had　already　witnessed　so　many　vicissitudes；　had　still　sufficient
energy　to　direct　their　proceedings。　Paris　was　the　　best　place　in　which　to
dispose　of　her　effects；　and　thither　she　and　Adrienne　came；　without　a
moment's　delay。　The　shops　were　first　tried；　but　the　shops；　in　the　autumn
of　1830；　offered　indifferent　resources　for　the　seller。　Valuable　effects
were　there　daily　sold　for　a　twentieth　part　of　their　original　cost；　and　the
vicomtesse　saw　her　little　stores　diminish　daily；　for　the　Mont　de　Piete
was　obliged　to　regulate　its　own　proceedings　by　the　received　current
values　of　the　day。　Old　age；　vexation；　and　this　last　most　cruel　blow；　did
not　fail　of　effecting　that　which　might　have　been　foreseen。　The　vicomtesse
sunk　under　this　accumulation　of　misfortunes；　and　became　bed…ridden；
helpless；　and　querulous。　Every　thing　now　devolved　on　the　timid；　gentle；
unpracticed　Adrienne。　All　females　of　her　condition；　in　countries
advanced　in　civilization　like　France；　look　to　the　resource　of　imparting　a
portion　of　what　they　themselves　have　acquired；　to　others　of　their　own
sex；　in　moments　of　urgent　necessity。　The　possibility　of　Adrienne's　being
compelled　to　become　a　governess；　or　a　companion；　had　long　been　kept
in　view；　but　the　situation　of　Mad。　de　la　Rocheaimard　forbade　any
attempt　of　the　sort；　for　the　moment；　had　the　state　of　the　country
rendered　it　at　all　probable　that　a　situation　could　have　been　procured。
On　this　fearful　exigency；　Adrienne　had　aroused　all　her　energies；　and
gone　deliberately　into　the　consideration　of　her　circumstances。

｛Mont　de　Piete　=　traditional　term　for　a　municipal　pawn　shop　operated
to　help　the　poor｝

Poverty　had　compelled　Mad。　de　la　Rocheaimard　to　seek　the　cheapest
respectable　lodgings　she　could　find　on　reaching　town。　In　anticipation　of
a　long　residence；　and；　for　the　consideration　of　a　considerable　abatement
in　price；　she　had　fortunately　paid　six　months'　rent　in　advance；　thus
removing　from　Adrienne　the　apprehension　of　having　no　place　in　which
to　cover　her　head；　for　some　time　to　come。　These　lodgings　were　in　an
entresol　of　the　Place　Royale；　a　perfectly　reputable　and　private　part　of
the　town；　and　in　many　respects　were　highly　eligible。　Many　of　the　menial
offices；　too；　were　to　be　performed　by　the　wife　of　the　porter；　according
to　the　bargain；　leaving　to　poor　Adrienne；　however；　all　the　care　of　her
grandmother；　whose　room　she　seldom　quitted；　the　duties　of　nurse　and
cook；　and　the　still　more　important　task　of　finding　the　means　of
subsistence。

｛entresol　=　mezzanine；　low…ceilinged　area　between　between　the　first
and　second　floors｝

For　quite　a　month　the　poor　desolate　girl　contrived　to　provide　for　her
grandmother's　necessities；　by　disposing　of　the　different　articles　of　the
trousseau。　This　store　was　now　nearly　exhausted；　and　she　had　found　a
milliner　who　gave　her　a　miserable　pittance　for　toiling　with　her　needle
eight　or　ten　hours　each　day。　Adrienne　had　not　lost　a　moment；　but　had
begun　this　system　of　ill…requited　industry　long　before　her　money　was
exhausted。　She　foresaw　that　her　grandmother　must　die；　and　the　great
object　of　her　present　existence　was　to　provide　for　the　few　remaining
wants　of　this　only　relative　during　the　brief　time　she　had　yet　to　live；　and　to
give　her　decent　and　Christian　burial。　Of　her　own　future　lot；　the　poor　girl
thought　as　little　as　possible；　though　fearful　glimpses　would　obtrude
themselves　on　her　uneasy　imagination。　At　first　she　had　employed　a
physician；　but　her　means　could　not　pay　for　his　visits；　nor　did　the
situation　of　her　grandmother　render　them　very　necessary。　He　promised
to　call　occasionally　without　fee；　and；　for　a　short　time；　he　kept　his　word；
but　his　benevolence　soon　wearied　of　performing　offices　that　really　were