autobiography of a pocket-handkerchief-第7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！


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　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