the purse-第3章

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every　part　of　their　home。　If；　here；　the　picture　is　too　boldly

drawn；　if　you　find　it　tedious　in　places；　do　not　blame　the

description；　which　is；　indeed；　part　and　parcel　of　my　story；　for

the　appearance　of　the　rooms　inhabited　by　his　two　neighbors　had　a

great　influence　on　the　feelings　and　hopes　of　Hippolyte　Schinner。



The　house　belonged　to　one　of　those　proprietors　in　whom　there　is　a

foregone　and　profound　horror　of　repairs　and　decoration；　one　of

the　men　who　regard　their　position　as　Paris　house…owners　as　a

business。　In　the　vast　chain　of　moral　species；　these　people　hold　a

middle　place　between　the　miser　and　the　usurer。　Optimists　in　their

own　interests；　they　are　all　faithful　to　the　Austrian　status　quo。

If　you　speak　of　moving　a　cupboard　or　a　door；　of　opening　the　most

indispensable　air…hole；　their　eyes　flash；　their　bile　rises；　they

rear　like　a　frightened　horse。　When　the　wind　blows　down　a　few

chimney…pots　they　are　quite　ill；　and　deprive　themselves　of　an　

evening　at　the　Gymnase　or　the　Porte…Saint…Martin　Theatre；　〃on

account　of　repairs。〃　Hippolyte；　who　had　seen　the　performance

gratis　of　a　comical　scene　with　Monsieur　Molineux　as　concerning

certain　decorative　repairs　in　his　studio；　was　not　surprised　to

see　the　dark　greasy　paint；　the　oily　stains；　spots；　and　other

disagreeable　accessories　that　varied　the　woodwork。　And　these

stigmata　of　poverty　are　not　altogether　devoid　of　poetry　in　an

artist's　eyes。



Mademoiselle　Leseigneur　herself　opened　the　door。　On　recognizing

the　young　artist　she　bowed；　and　at　the　same　time；　with　Parisian

adroitness；　and　with　the　presence　of　mind　that　pride　can　lend；

she　turned　round　to　shut　the　door　in　a　glass　partition　through

which　Hippolyte　might　have　caught　sight　of　some　linen　hung　by

lines　over　patent　ironing　stoves；　an　old　camp…bed；　some　wood…

embers；　charcoal；　irons；　a　filter；　the　household　crockery；　and

all　the　utensils　familiar　to　a　small　household。　Muslin　curtains；

fairly　white；　carefully　screened　this　lumber…rooma　capharnaum；

as　the　French　call　such　a　domestic　laboratory；which　was　lighted

by　windows　looking　out　on　a　neighboring　yard。



Hippolyte；　with　the　quick　eye　of　an　artist；　saw　the　uses；　the

furniture；　the　general　effect　and　condition　of　this　first　room；

thus　cut　in　half。　The　more　honorable　half；　which　served　both　as

ante…room　and　dining…room；　was　hung　with　an　old　salmon…rose…

colored　paper；　with　a　flock　border；　the　manufacture　of　Reveillon；

no　doubt；　the　holes　and　spots　had　been　carefully　touched　over

with　wafers。　Prints　representing　the　battles　of　Alexander；　by

Lebrun；　in　frames　with　the　gilding　rubbed　off　were　symmetrically

arranged　on　the　walls。　In　the　middle　stood　a　massive　mahogany

table；　old…fashioned　in　shape；　and　worn　at　the　edges。　A　small

stove；　whose　thin　straight　pipe　was　scarcely　visible；　stood　in

front　of　the　chimney…place；　but　the　hearth　was　occupied　by　a

cupboard。　By　a　strange　contrast　the　chairs　showed　some　remains　of

former　splendor；　they　were　of　carved　mahogany；　but　the　red

morocco　seats；　the　gilt　nails　and　reeded　backs；　showed　as　many

scars　as　an　old　sergeant　of　the　Imperial　Guard。



This　room　did　duty　as　a　museum　of　certain　objects；　such　as　are

never　seen　but　in　this　kind　of　amphibious　household；　nameless

objects　with　the　stamp　at　once　of　luxury　and　penury。　Among　other

curiosities　Hippolyte　noticed　a　splendidly　finished　telescope；

hanging　over　the　small　discolored　glass　that　decorated　the

chimney。　To　harmonize　with　this　strange　collection　of　furniture；

there　was；　between　the　chimney　and　the　partition；　a　wretched

sideboard　of　painted　wood；　pretending　to　be　mahogany；　of　all

woods　the　most　impossible　to　imitate。　But　the　slippery　red

quarries；　the　shabby　little　rugs　in　front　of　the　chairs；　and　all

the　furniture；　shone　with　the　hard　rubbing　cleanliness　which

lends　a　treacherous　lustre　to　old　things　by　making　their　defects；

their　age；　and　their　long　service　still　more　conspicuous。　An

indescribable　odor　pervaded　the　room；　a　mingled　smell　of　the

exhalations　from　the　lumber　room；　and　the　vapors　of　the　dining…

room；　with　those　from　the　stairs；　though　the　window　was　partly

open。　The　air　from　the　street　fluttered　the　dusty　curtains；　which

were　carefully　drawn　so　as　to　hide　the　window　bay；　where　former

tenants　had　testified　to　their　presence　by　various　ornamental

additionsa　sort　of　domestic　fresco。



Adelaide　hastened　to　open　the　door　of　the　inner　room；　where　she

announced　the　painter　with　evident　pleasure。　Hippolyte；　who；　of

yore；　had　seen　the　same　signs　of　poverty　in　his　mother's　home；

noted　them　with　the　singular　vividness　of　impression　which

characterizes　the　earliest　acquisitions　of　memory；　and　entered

into　the　details　of　this　existence　better　than　any　one　else　would

have　done。　As　he　recognized　the　facts　of　his　life　as　a　child；　the

kind　young　fellow　felt　neither　scorn　for　disguised　misfortune　nor

pride　in　the　luxury　he　had　lately　conquered　for　his　mother。



〃Well；　monsieur；　I　hope　you　no　longer　feel　the　effects　of　your

fall；〃　said　the　old　lady；　rising　from　an　antique　armchair　that

stood　by　the　chimney；　and　offering　him　a　seat。



〃No；　madame。　I　have　come　to　thank　you　for　the　kind　care　you　gave

me；　and　above　all　mademoiselle；　who　heard　me　fall。〃



As　he　uttered　this　speech；　stamped　with　the　exquisite　stupidity

given　to　the　mind　by　the　first　disturbing　symptoms　of　true　love；

Hippolyte　looked　at　the　young　girl。　Adelaide　was　lighting　the

Argand　lamp；　no　doubt　that　she　might　get　rid　of　a　tallow　candle

fixed　in　a　large　copper　flat　candlestick；　and　graced　with　a　heavy

fluting　of　grease　from　its　guttering。　She　answered　with　a　slight

bow；　carried　the　flat　candlestick　into　the　ante…room；　came　back；

and　after　placing　the　lamp　on　the　chimney　shelf；　seated　herself

by　her　mother；　a　little　behind　the　painter；　so　as　to　be　able　to

look　at　him　at　her　ease；　while　apparently　much　interested　in　the

burning　of　the　lamp；　the　flame；　checked　by　the　damp　in　a　dingy

chimney；　sputtered　as　it　struggled　with　a　charred　and　badly…

trimmed　wick。　Hippolyte；　seeing　the　large　mirror　that　decorated

the　chimney…piece；　immediately　fixed　his　eyes　on　it　to　admire

Adelaide。　Thus　the　girl's　little　stratagem　only　served　to

embarrass　them　both。



While　talking　with　Madame　Leseigneur；　for　Hippolyte　called　her

so；　on　the　chance　of　being　right；　he　examined　the　room；　but

unobtrusively　and　by　stealth。



The　Egyptian　figures　on　the　iron　fire…dogs　were　scarcely　visible；

the　hearth　was　so　heaped　with　cinders；　two　brands　tried　to　meet

in　front　of　a　sham　log　of　fire…brick；　as　carefully　buried　as　a

miser's　treasure　could　ever　be。　An　old　Aubusson　carpet；　very　much

faded；　very　much　mended；　and　as　worn　as　a　pensioner's　coat；　did

not　cover　the　whole　of　the　tiled　floor；　and　the　cold　struck　to

his　feet。　The　walls　were　hung　with　a　reddish　paper；　imitating

figured　silk　with　a　yellow　pattern。　In　the　middle　of　the　wall

opposite　the　windows　the　painter　saw　a　crack；　and　the　outline

marked　on　the　paper　of　double…doors；　shutting　off　a　recess　where

Madame　Leseigneur　slept　no　doubt；　a　fact　ill　disguised　by　a　sofa

in　front　of　the　door。　Facing　the　chimney；　above　a　mahogany　chest

of　drawers　of　handsome　and　tasteful　design；　was　the　portrait　of

an　officer　of　rank；　which　the　dim　light　did　not　allow　him　to　see

well；　but　from　what　he　could　make　out　he　thought　that　the　fearful

daub　must　have　been　painted　in　China。　The　window…curtains　of　red

silk　were　as　much　faded　as　the　furniture；　in　red　and　yellow

worsted　work；　＇as＇　if　this　room　〃contrived　a　double　debt　to　pay。〃

On　the　marble　top　of　the　chest　of　drawers　was　a　costly　malachite

tray；　with　a　dozen　coffee　cups　magnificently　painted　and　made；　no

doubt；　at　Sevres。　On　the　chimney　shelf　stood　the　omnipresent

Empire　clock：　a　warrior　driving　the　four　horses　of　a　chariot；

whose　wheel　bore　the　numbers　of　the　hours　on　its　spokes。　The

tapers　in　the　tall　candlesticks　were　yellow　with　smoke；　and　at

each　corner　of　the　shelf　stood　a　porcelain　vase　crow