autobiography of a pocket-handkerchief-第15章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


glasses；　watch…guards；　chains；　&c。

｛Boulevards　Italiens　=　a　fashionable　Paris　street；　attache　=　a　diplomat
European　diplomats　at　this　period　often　wore　uniforms｝

〃Bon　jour；　monsieur；〃　exclaimed　Desiree；　in　haste；　〃parole　d'　honneur；　I
scarcely　knew　you！　I　have　been　waiting　for　your　return　from　Lyons　with
the　most　lively　impatience；　for；　to　tell　you　the　truth；　I　have　the　greatest
bijou　for　your　American　ladies　that　ever　came　out　of　a　bleaching
groundun　mouchoir　de　poche。〃

｛bijou　=　jewel；　mouchoir　de　poche　=　pocket　handkerchief｝

〃Doucementdoucement；　ma　bonne；〃　interrupted　the　other；　observing
that　the　woman　was　about　to　exhibit　me　on　the　open　Boulevards；　an
expose　for　which　he　had　no　longings；　〃you　can　bring　it　to　my　lodgings〃

｛doucement。。。　=　not　so　fast；　my　good　woman；　expose　=　public　display｝

〃Rue　de　Clery；　numero　cent　vingt〃

｛Rue　de　Clery。。。　=　Clery　Street；　number　one　twenty〃

〃Not　at　all；　my　good　Desiree。　You　must　know　I　have　transacted　all　my
ordinary　businessmade　my　purchases；　and　am　off　for　New　York　in
the　next　packet〃

｛packet　=　ship　sailing　on　a　fixed　schedule｝

〃Mais；　le　malle；　monsieur？〃

｛Mais；　le　malle。。。　=　But；　what　about　your　trunk；　sir？｝

〃Yes；　the　trunk　will　have　a　corner　in　it　for　any　thing　particular；　as　you
say。　I　shall　go　to　court　this　evening；　to　a　great　ball；　Madame　la
Marquise　de　Dolomien　and　the　Aide　de　Camp　de　Service　having　just
notified　me　that　I　am　invited。　To　be　frank　with　you；　Desiree；　I　am
lodging　in　la　Rue　de　la　Paix；　and　appear；　just　now；　as　a　mere　traveler。
You　will　inquire　for　le　Colonel　Silky；　when　you　call。〃

｛Aide　de　Camp　de　Service　=　duty　officer　of　the　French　royal　court｝

〃Le　Colonel　Silky！〃　repeated　Desiree　with　a　look　of　admiration；　a　little
mingled　with　contempt。

〃De　la　garde　nationale　Americaine；〃　answered　Mr。　Silky；　smiling。　He
then　gave　the　woman　his　new　address；　and　appointed　an　hour　to　see
her。

｛De　la　garde　nationale　Americaine　=　of　the　American　national　guard
Cooper　is　here　satirizing　the　pretensions　and　gaudy　uniforms　of　civilians
holding　nominal　commissions　as　〃Colonels〃　of　American　state　militias｝

Desiree　was　punctual　to　a　minute。　The　porter；　the　garcons；　the
bourgeois；　all　knew　le　Colonel　Silky；　who　was　now　a　great　man；　wore
moustaches；　and　went　to　courtas　the　court　was。　In　a　minute　the
commissionaire　was　in　the　colonel's　ante…chamber。　This　distinguished
officer　had　a　method　in　his　madness。　He　was　not　accustomed　to
keeping　a　body　servant；　and；　as　his　aim　was　to　make　a　fortune；　will　ye
nill　ye；　he　managed；　even　now；　in　his　hours　of　pride　and　self…indulgence；
to　get　along　without　one。　It　was　not　many　moments；　therefore；　before
he　came　out　and　ushered　Desiree　himself　into　his　salon；　a　room　of　ten
feet　by　fourteen；　with　a　carpet　that　covered　just　eight　feet　by　six；　in　its
centre。　Now　that　they　were　alone；　in　this　snuggery；　which　seemed
barely　large　enough　to　contain　so　great　a　man's　moustaches；　the　parties
understood　each　other　without　unnecessary　phrases；　and　I　was；　at
once；　produced。

｛as　the　court　was　=　the　Royal　Court　of　King　Louis　Philippe　prided　itself
on　its　simplicity　and　informality；　garcons；　bourgeois　=　waiters；
neighbors；　salon　=　living　room｝

Colonel　Silky　was　evidently　struck　with　my　appearance。　An　officer　of
his　readiness　and　practice　saw　at　once　that　I　might　be　made　to　diminish
no　small　part　of　the　ways　and　means　of　his　present　campaign；　and
precisely　in　proportion　as　he　admired　me；　he　began　to　look　cold　and
indifferent。　This　management　could　not　deceive　me；　my　clairvoyance
defying　any　such　artifices；　but　it　had　a　sensible　effect　on　Desiree；　who；
happening　very　much　to　want　money　for　a　particular　object　just　at　that
moment；　determined；　on　the　spot；　to　abate　no　less　than　fifty　francs　from
the　price　she　had　intended　to　ask。　This　was　deducting　five　francs　more
than　poor　Adrienne　got　for　the　money　she　had　expended　for　her
beautiful　lace；　and　for　all　her　toil；　sleepless　nights；　and　tears；　a　proof　of
the　commissionaire's　scale　of　doing　business。　The　bargain　was　now
commenced　in　earnest；　offering　an　instructive　scene　of　French
protestations；　assertions；　contradictions　and　volubility　on　one　side；　and
of　cold；　seemingly　phlegmatic；　but　wily　Yankee　calculation；　on　the
other。　Desiree　had　set　her　price　at　one　hundred　and　fifty　francs；　after
abating　the　fifty　mentioned；　and　Colonel　Silky　had　early　made　up　his
mind　to　give　only　one　hundred。　After　making　suitable　allowances　for　my
true　value　before　I　was　embellished；　the　cost　of　the　lace　and　of　the
work；　Desiree　was　not　far　from　the　mark；　but　the　Colonel　saw　that　she
wanted　money；　and　he　knew　that　two　napoleons　and　a　half；　with　his
management；　would　carry　him　from　Paris　to　Havre。　It　is　true　he　had
spent　the　difference　that　morning　on　an　eye…glass　that　he　never　used；　or
when　he　did　it　was　only　to　obscure　his　vision；　but　the　money　was　not
lost；　as　it　aided　in　persuading　the　world　he　was　a　colonel　and　was
afflicted　with　that　genteel　defect；　an　imperfect　vision。　These　extremes　of
extravagance　and　meanness　were　not　unusual　in　his　practice。　The　one；
in　truth；　being　a　consequence　of　the　other。

｛management　=　in　Cooper's　time；　a　word　suggesting　conniving　or
unscrupulous　manipulation；　Havre　=　le　Havre；　an　important　French
port｝

〃You　forget　the　duty；　Desiree；〃　observed　the　military　trader；　〃this
compromise　law　is　a　thousand　times　worse　than　any　law　we　have　ever
had　in　America。〃

｛compromise　law　=　the　American　Tariff　Act　of　1832；　which　reduced
tariffs　on　some　items；　but　retained　the　high　customs　duties　on　the　import
of　textile　products｝

〃The　duty！〃　repeated　the　woman；　with　an　incredulous　smile；　〃monsieur；
you　are　not　so　young　as　to　pay　any　duty　on　a　pocket…handkerchief！　Ma
foi；　I　will　bring　twentyoui；　a　thousand　from　England　itself；　and　the
douaniers　shall　not　stop　one。〃

｛douaniers　=　customs　officials｝

〃Ay；　but　we　don't　smuggle　in　America；〃　returned　the　colonel；　with　an
aplomb　that　might　have　done　credit　to　Vidocq　himself；　〃in　our
republican　country　the　laws　are　all　in　all。〃

｛Vidocq　=　Francois　Vidocq　（1775…1857）；　a　senior　French　police
official　who　was　secretly　a　burglar；　and　who　〃investigated〃　his　own
crimes　for　a　long　time　before　being　exposed｝

〃Why　do　so　many　of　your　good　republicans　dress　so　that　the　rue　de
Clery　don't　know　them；　and　then　go　to　the　chateau？〃　demanded　the
commissionaire；　very　innocently；　as　to　appearance　at　least。

｛chateau　=　palace｝

〃Bah！　there　are　the　five　napoleonsif　you　want　them；　take　themif　not；
I　care　little　about　it；　my　invoice　being　all　closed。〃

Desiree　never　accepted　money　more　reluctantly。　Instead　of　making　one
hundred　and　fifty…five　francs　out　of　the　toil　and　privations；　and　self…
denial　of　poor　Adrienne；　she　found　her　own　advantages　unexpectedly
lessened　to　fifty…five；　or；　only　a　trifle　more　than　one　hundred　per　cent。
But　the　colonel　was　firm；　and；　for　once；　her　cupidity　was　compelled　to
succumb。　The　money　was　paid；　and　I　became　the　vassal　of　Colonel
Silky；　a　titular　soldier；　but　a　traveling　trader；　who　never　lost　sight　of　the
main　chance　either　in　his　campaigns；　his　journeys；　or　his　pleasures。

To　own　the　truth；　Colonel　Silky　was　delighted　with　me。　No　girl　could　be
a　better　judge　of　the　ARTICLE；　and　all　his　cultivated　taste　ran　into　the
admiration　of　GOODS。　I　was　examined　with　the　closest　scrutiny；　my
merits　were　inwardly　applauded；　and　my　demerits　pronounced　to　be
absolutely　none。　In　short；　I　was　flattered；　for；　it　must　be　confessed；　the
commendation　of　even　a　fool　is　grateful。　So　far　from　placing　me　in　a
trunk；　or　a　drawer；　the　colonel　actually　put　me　in　his　pocket；　though
duly　enveloped　and　with　great　care；　and　for　some　time　I　trembled　in
every　delicate　fibre；　lest；　in　a　moment　of　forgetfulness；　he　might　use　me。
But　my　new　master　had　no　such　intention。　His　object　in　taking　me　out
was　to　consult　a　sort　of　court　commissionaire；　with　whom　he　had
established　certain　relations；　and　that；　too；　at　some　little　cost；　on　the
propriety　of　using　me　himself　that　evening　at　the　chateau　of　the　King　of
the　French。　Fortunately；　his　monitress；　though　by　no　means　of　the　purest
water；　knew　better　than　to　suffer　her　eleve　to　commit　so　gross　a
blunder；　and