第 6 节
作者:
津鸿一瞥 更新:2021-03-08 19:41 字数:9322
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; 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
beauti