autobiography of a pocket-handkerchief-第6章

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napoleons　might　do　it；　and　the　remains　of　the　recovered　trousseau
would　still　produce　that　sum。　It　is　probable　this　intention　would　have
been　carried　out；　but　for　a　severe　illness　that　attacked　the　dear　girl；
during　which　her　life　was　even　despaired　of。　I　had　the　happiness　of
hearing　of　her　gradual　recovery；　however；　before　we　commenced　our
journey；　though　no　more　was　said　of　the　purchase。　Perhaps　it　was　as
well。　as　it　was；　for；　by　this　time；　such　a　feeling　existed　in　our　extreme
cote　gauche；　that　it　may　be　questioned　if　the　handkerchiefs　of　that　end
of　the　piece　would　have　behaved　themselves　in　the　wardrobe　of　the
dauphine　with　the　discretion　and　prudence　that　are　expected　from　every
thing　around　the　person　of　a　princess　of　her　exalted　rank　and　excellent
character。　It　is　true；　none　of　us　understood　the　questions　at　issue；　but
that　only　made　the　matter　worse；　the　violence　of　all　dissensions　being
very　generally　in　proportion　to　the　ignorance　and　consequent　confidence
of　the　disputants。

｛napoleon　=　French　gold　coin　worth　twenty　francs｝

I　could　not　but　remember　Adrienne；　as　the　commissionaire　laid　us　down
before　the　eyes　of　the　wife　of　the　head　of　the　firm；　in　the　rue　de　
。　We　were　carefully　examined；　and　pronounced　〃parfaits；〃　still　it　was　not
in　the　sweet　tones；　and　with　the　sweeter　smiles　of　the　polished　and
gentle　girl　we　had　left　in　Picardie。　There　was　a　sentiment　in　HER
admiration　that　touched　all　our　hearts；　even　to　the　most　exaggerated
republican　among　us；　for　she　seemed　to　go　deeper　in　her　examination　of
merits　than　the　mere　texture　and　price。　She　saw　her　offering　in　our
beauty；　the　benevolence　of　the　dauphine　in　our　softness；　her　own
gratitude　in　our　exquisite　fineness；　and　princely　munificence　in　our
delicacy。　In　a　word；　she　could　enter　into　the　sentiment　of　a　pocket…
handkerchief。　Alas！　how　different　was　the　estimation　in　which　we　were
held　by　Desiree　and　her　employers。　With　them；　it　was　purely　a　question
of　francs；　and　we　had　not　been　in　the　magazin　five　minutes；　when　there
was　a　lively　dispute　whether　we　were　to　be　put　at　a　certain　number　of
napoleons；　or　one　napoleon　more。　A　good　deal　was　said　about　Mad。　la
Duchesse；　and　I　found　that　it　was　expected　that　a　certain　lady　of　that
rank；　one　who　had　enjoyed　the　extraordinary　luck　of　retaining　her
fortune；　being　of　an　old　and　historical　family；　and　who　was　at　the　head
of　fashion　in　the　faubourg；　would　become　the　purchaser。　At　all　events；　it
was　determined　no　one　should　see　us　until　this　lady　returned　to　town；
she　being　at　the　moment　at　Rosny；　with　madame；　whence　she　was
expected　to　accompany　that　princess　to　Dieppe；　to　come　back　to　her
hotel；　in　the　rue　de　Bourbon；　about　the　last　of　October。　Here；　then；
were　we　doomed　to　three　months　of　total　seclusion　in　the　heart　of　the
gayest　capital　of　Europe。　It　was　useless　to　repine；　and　we　determined
among　ourselves　to　exercise　patience　in　the　best　manner　we　could。

｛faubourg　=　neighborhood　；　Rosny　=　Chateau　of　Rosny；　country　estate
of　the　Dukes　of　Berry　at　Rosny…sur…Seine；　Madame　=　title　of　Princess
Marie　Therese　Charlotte；　wife　of　the　Dauphin　Louis　Antoine；　heir　to
Charles　X｝

Accordingly；　we　were　safely　deposited　in　a　particular　drawer；　along
with　a　few　other　favorite　articles；　that；　like　our　family；　were　reserved　for
the　eyes　of　certain　distinguished　but　absent　customers。　These　specialites
in　trade　are　of　frequent　occurrence　in　Paris；　and　form　a　pleasant　bond
of　union　between　the　buyer　and　seller；　which　gives　a　particular　zest　to
this　sort　of　commerce；　and　not　unfrequently　a　particular　value　to　goods。
To　see　that　which　no　one　else　has　seen；　and　to　own　that　which　no　one
else　can　own；　are　equally　agreeable；　and　delightfully　exclusive。　All　minds
that　do　not　possess　the　natural　sources　of　exclusion；　are　fond　of　creating
them　by　means　of　a　subordinate　and　more　artificial　character。

｛specialites　=　specialties　｝

On　the　whole；　I　think　we　enjoyed　our　new　situation；　rather　than
otherwise。　The　drawer　was　never　opened；　it　is　true；　but　that　next　it　was
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；