autobiography of a pocket-handkerchief-第9章

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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
not　required。　By　the　end　of　a　month；　Adrienne　saw　him　no　more。

As　long　as　her　daily　toil　seemed　to　supply　her　own　little　wants；　Adrienne
was　content　to　watch　on；　weep　on；　pray　on；　in　waiting　for　the　moment
she　so　much　dreaded；　that　which　was　to　sever　the　last　tie　she　appeared
to　possess　on　earth。　It　is　true　she　had　a　few　very　distant　relatives；　but
they　had　emigrated　to　America；　at　the　commencement　of　the　revolution
of　1789；　and　all　trace　of　them　had　long　been　lost。　In　point　of　fact；　the
men　were　dead；　and　the　females　were　grandmothers　with　English
names；　and　were　almost　ignorant　of　any　such　persons　as　the　de　la
Rocheaimards。　From　these　Adrienne　had　nothing　to　expect。　To　her；
they　were　as　beings　in　another　planet。　But　the　trousseau　was　nearly
exhausted；　and　the　stock　of　ready　money　was　reduced　to　a　　single
napoleon；　and　a　little　change。　It　was　absolutely　necessary　to　decide　on
some　new　scheme　for　a　temporary　subsistence；　and　that　without　delay。

Among　the　valuables　of　the　trousseau　was　a　piece　of　exquisite　lace；　that
had　never　been　even　worn。　The　vicomtesse　had　a　pride　in　looking　at　it；
for　it　showed　the　traces　of　her　former　wealth　and　magnificence；　and　she
would　never　consent　to　part　with　it。　Adrienne　had　carried　it　once　to　her
employer；　the　milliner；　with　the　intention　of　disposing　of　it；　but　the　price
offered　was　so　greatly　below　what　she　knew　to　be　the　true　value；　that
she　would　not　sell　it。　Her　own　wardrobe；　however；　was　going　fast；
nothing　disposable　remained　of　her　grandmother's；　and　this　piece　of　lace
must　be　turned　to　account　in　some　way。　While　reflecting　on　these　dire
necessities；　Adrienne　remembered　our　family。　She　knew　to　what　shop
we　had　been　sent　in　Paris；　and　she　now　determined　to　purchase　one　of
us；　to　bestow　on　the　handkerchief　selected　some　of　her　own　beautiful
needle　work；　to　trim　it　with　this　lace；　and；　by　the　sale；　to　raise　a　sum
sufficient　for　all　her　grandmother's　earthly　wants。

Generous　souls　are　usually　ardent。　Their　hopes　keep　pace　with　their
wishes；　and；　as　Adrienne　had　heard　that　twenty　napoleons　were
sometimes　paid　by　the　wealthy　for　a　single　pocket…handkerchief；　when
thus　decorated；　she　saw　a　little　treasure　in　reserve；　before　her　mind's
eye。

〃I　can　do　the　work　in　two　months；〃　she　said　to　herself；　〃by　taking　the
time　I　have　used　for　exercise；　and　by　severe　economy；　by　eating　less
myself；　and　working　harder；　we　can　make　out　to　live　that　time　on　what
we　have。〃

This　was　the　secret　of　my　purchase；　and　the　true　reason　why　this　lovely
girl　had　literally　expended　her　last　sou　in　making　it。　The　cost　had
materially　exceeded　her　expectations；　and　she　could　not　return　home
without　disposing　of　some　article　she　had　in　her　reticule；　to　supply　the
vacuum　left　in　her　purse。　There　would　be　nothing　ready　for　the　milliner；
under　two　or　three　days；　and　there　was　little　in　the　lodgings　to　meet　the
necessities　of　her　grandmother。　Adrienne　had　taken　her　way　along　the
quays；　delighted　with　her　acquisition；　and　was　far　from　the　Mont　de
Piete　before　this　indispensable　duty　occurred　to　her　mind。　She　then
began　to　look　about　her　for　a　shop　in　which　she　might　dispose　of
something　for　the　moment。　Luckily　she　was　the　mistress　of　a　gold
thimble；　that　had　been　presented　to　her　by　her　grandmother；　as　her　very
last　birth…day　present。　It　was　painful　for　her　to　part　with　it；　but；　as　it　was
to　supply　the　wants　of　that　very　parent；　the　sacrifice　cost　her　less　than
might　otherwise　have　been　the　case。　Its　price　had　been　a　napoleon；　and
a　napoleon；　just　then；　was　a　mint　of　money　in　her　eyes。　Besides；　she
had　a　silver　thimble　at　home；　and　a　brass　one　would　do　for　her　work。

Adrienne's　necessities　had　made　her　acquainted　with　several　jewellers'
shops。　To　one　of　these　she　now　proceeded；　and；　first　observing　through
the　window　that　no　person　was　in　but　one　of　her　own　sex；　the
silversmith's　wife；　she　entered　with　the　greater　confidence　and　alacrity。

〃Madame；〃　she　said；　in　timid　tones；　for　want　had　not　yet　made　Adrienne
bold　or　coarse；　〃I　have　a　thimble　to　dispose　ofcould　you　be　induced
to　buy　it？〃

The　woman　took　the　thimble　and　examined　it；　weighed　it；　and　submitted
its　metal　to　the　test　of　the　touchstone。　It　was　a　pretty　thimble；　though
small；　or　it　would　not　have　fitted　Adrienne's　finger。　This　fact　struck　the
woman　of　the　shop；　and　she　cast　a　suspicious　glance　at　Adrienne's
hand；　the　whiteness　and　size　of　which；　however；　satisfied　her　that　the
thimble　had　not　been　stolen。

｛touchstone　=　a　variety　of　black　stone　used　to　test　the　purity　of　gold；　by
the　streak　it　leaves　when　rubbed　on　the　stone｝

〃What　do　you　expect　to　receive　for　this　thimble；　mademoiselle？〃　asked
the　woman；　coldly。

〃It　cost　a　napoleon；　madame；　and　was　made　expressly　for　myself。〃

〃You　do　not　expect　to　sell　it　at　what　it　cost？〃　was　the　dry　answer。

〃Perhaps　not；　madameI　suppose　you　will　look　for　a　profit　in　selling　it
again。　I　wish　you　to　name　the　price。〃

This　was　said　because　the　delicate　ever　shrink　from　affixing　a　value　to
the　time　and　services　of　others。　Adrienne　was　afraid　she　might
unintentionally　deprive　the　other　of　a　portion　of　her　just　gains。　The
woman　understood　by　the　timidity　and　undecided　manner　of　the
applicant；　that　she　had　a　very　unpracticed　being　to　deal　with；　and　she
was　emboldened　to　act　accordingly。　First　taking　another　look　at　the
pretty　little　hand　and　fingers；　to　make　certain　the　thimble　might　not　be
reclaimed；　when　satisfied　that　it　really　belonged　to　her　who　wished　to
dispose　of　it；　she　ventured　to　answer。

〃In　such　times　as　we　had　before　these　vile　republicans　drove　all　the
strangers　from　Paris；　and　when　our　commerce　was　good；〃　she　said；　〃I
might　have　offered　seven　francs　and　a　half　for　that　thimble；　but；　as　things
are　now；　the　last　sou　I　can　think　of　giving　is　five　francs。〃

〃The　gold　is　very　good；　madame；〃　Adrienne　observed；　in　a　voice　half…
choked；　〃they　told　my　grandmother　the　metal　alone　was　worth　thirteen。〃

〃Perhaps；　mademoiselle；　they　might　give　that　much　at　the　mint；　for　there
they　coin　money；　but；　in　this　shop；　no　one　will　give　more　than　five　francs
for