adventures and letters-第26章

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　and　who　does　that　all　day　and　all　night　by　the　light　of　a　lamp。　　And　below　the　concierge　stands　all　day　in　a　lace　cap　and　black　gown　and　blue；　and　looks　up　the　street　and　down　the　street　like　the　woman　in　front　of　Hockley's。　　BUT　on　the　floor　opposite　mine　there　is　a　beautiful　lady　in　a　pink　and　white　wrapper　with　long　black　hair　and　sleepy　black　eyes。　　She　does　not　take　any　interest　in　my　pink　wrapper；　but　contents　herself　with　passing　cabs　and　stray　dogs　and　women　with　loaves　of　bread　and　bottles　in　their　hands　who　occasionally　stray　into　our　street。　　At　six　she　appears　in　another　gown　and　little　slippers　and　a　butterfly　for　a　hat　and　says　〃Good…by〃　to　the　old　concierge　and　trips　off　to　dinner。　　Lots　of　love　to　all。　DICK。


PARIS；　May　llth；　1893。　DEAR　MOTHER：

I　am　still　somewhat　tentative　as　regards　my　opinion　of　the　place；　what　it　will　bring　me　in　the　way　of　material　I　cannot　tell。　　So　far；　〃Paris　Decadent〃　would　be　a　good　title　for　anything　I　should　write　of　it。　　It　is　not　that　I　have　seen　only　the　worst　side　of　it　but　that　that　seems　to　be　so　much　the　most　prominent。　　They　worship　the　hideous　Eiffel　Tower　and　they　are　a　useless；　flippant　people　who　never　sleep　and　yet　do　nothing　while　awake。　　To…morrow　I　am　going　to　a　pretty　inn　surrounded　by　vines　and　trees　to　see　a　prize　fight　with　all　the　silly　young　French　men　and　their　young　friends　in　black　and　white　who　ape　the　English　manners　and　customs　even　to　〃la　box。〃　　To　night　at　the　Ambassadeurs　the　rejected　lover　of　some　actress　took　a　gang　of　bullies　from　Montmartre　there　and　hissed　and　stoned　her。　　I　turned　up　most　innocently　and　greatly　bored　in　the　midst　of　it　but　I　was　too　far　away　to　pound　anybody　I　collected　two　Englishmen　and　we　went　in　front　to　await　her　re…appearance　but　she　had　hysterics　and　went　off　in　a　cab　and　so　we　were　not　given　a　second　opportunity　of　showing　them　they　should　play　fair。　　It　is　a　typical　incident　of　the　Frenchman　and　has　made　me　wrathy。　　The　women　watching　the　prize　fight　will　make　a　good　story　and　so　will　the　arms　of　the　red　mill；　〃The　Moulin　Rouge〃　they　keep　turning　and　turning　and　grinding　out　health　and　virtue　and　souls。

I　dined　to　night　with　the　C…s　and　Ps；　the　Ex…Minister　and　disagreed　with　everybody　and　found　them　all　very　middle　class　as　to　intellect。　　An　old　English　lady　next　to　me　said　apropos　of　something　〃that　is　because　you　are　not　clever　like　Mr。　　and　do　not　have　to　work　with　your　brains。〃　　To　which　I　said；　I　did　not　mind　not　being　clever　as　my　father　was　a　many　times　millionaire；〃　at　which　she　became　abjectly　polite。　　Young　Rothenstein　is　going　to　do　a　picture　of　me　to…morrow　morning。　　There　is　nothing　much　more　to　tell　except　that　a　horse　stood　on　his　fore　legs　in　the　Bois　the　other　day　and　chucked　me　into　space。　　I　was　very　sore　but　I　went　on　going　about　as　it　was　the　Varnishing　day　at　the　new　salon　and　I　wished　to　see　it。　　I　am　over　my　stiffness　now　and　if　〃anybody　wants　to　buy　a　blooming　bus〃　I　have　one　for　sale　and　five　pairs　of　riding　breeches　and　two　of　ditto　boots。　　No　more　riding　for　me…　The　boxing　bag　is　in　good　order　now　and　I　do　not　need　for　exercise。　　The　lady　across　the　street　has　a　new　wrapper　in　which　she　is　even　more　cold　and　haughty　than　before。　　〃I　sing　Tarrara　boom　deay　and　she　keeps　from　liking　me。〃

DICK。


PARIS；　May　14th；　1893。　DEAR　NORA：

Things　are　getting　more　interesting　here　and　I　shall　probably　have　something　to　write　about　after　all；　although　I　shall　not　know　the　place　as　I　did　London。　　Will　Rothenstein　has　drawn　a　picture　of　me　that　I　like　very　much　and　if　mother　likes　it　VERY；　VERY　much　she　may　have　it　as　a　loan　but　she　may　not　like　it。　　I　did　not　like　to　take　it　so　I　bought　another　picture　of　him；　one　of　Coquelin　cadet　and　now　I　have　two。　　Coquelin　gave　him　his　first　commission　when　he　was　nineteen；　two　years　ago；　and　then　asked　him　to　do　two　sketches。　　After　these　were　done　Coquelin　told　him　by　letter　that　he　would　give　him　half　what　they　had　agreed　upon　for　the　big　picture　for　the　two　sketches　and　begged　the　big　picture　as　a　gift。　　So　Rothenstein　cut　the　head　and　shoulders　out　of　the　big　one　and　sent　him　the　arms　and　legs。　　It　is　the　head　he　cut　out　that　I　have。　　When　Rothenstein　and　I　and　Coquelin　become　famous；　that　will　make　a　good　story。　　I　have　also　indulged　myself　in　the　purchase　of　several　of　Cherets　works　of　art。　　They　cost　three　francs　apiece。　　We　have　had　some　delightful　lunches　at　the　Ambassadeurs　with　Cushing　and　other　artists　and　last　night　I　went　out　into　the　Grande　Monde　to　a　bal　masque　for　charity　at　the　palace　of　the　Comtesse　de　la　Ferrondeux。　　It　was　very　stupid　and　the　men　outnumbered　the　women　30　to　1；　which　are　interesting　odds。　　To…day　we　went　to　Whistler's　and　sat　out　in　a　garden　with　high　walls　about　it　and　drank　tea　and　laughed　at　Rothenstein。　　The　last　thing　he　said　was　at　the　Ambassadeurs　when　one　of　the　students　picking　up　a　fork　said；　〃These　are　the　same　sort　of　forks　I　have。〃　　Rothenstein　said　〃yes；　I　did　not　know　you　dined　here　that　often。〃　　Some　one　asked　him　why　he　wore　his　hair　long；　〃To　test　your　manners〃　he　answered。　　He　is　a　disciple　of　Whistler's　and　Wilde's　and　said　〃yes；　I　defend　them　at　the　risk　of　their　lives。〃　　Did　I　tell　you　of　his　saying　〃It　is　much　easier　to　love　one's　family　than　to　like　them。〃　　And　when　some　one　said　〃Did　you　hear　how　Mrs。　B。　treated　Mr。　C。；　（a　man　he　dislikes）　he　said；　〃no；　but　I'm　glad　she　did。〃　　It　was　lovely　at　Whistler's　and　such　a　contrast　to　the　other　American　salon　I　went　to　last　Sunday。　　It　was　so　quiet；　and　green　and　pretty　and　everybody　was　so　unobtrusively　polite。

Rothenstein　wore　my　rosette　and　made　a　great　sensation　and　I　was　congratulated　by　Whistler　and　Abbey　and　Pennell。　　Rothenstein　said　he　was　going　to　have　a　doublebreasted　waistcoat　made　with　rosettes　of　decorations　for　buttons。　　Tomorrow　Lord　Dufferin　has　asked　me　to　breakfast　at　the　Embassy。　　He　was　at　the　masked　ball　last　night　and　was　very　nice。　　He　reminds　me　exactly　of　Disraeli　in　appearance。　　It　is　awfully　hot　here　and　a　Fair　for　charity　has　asked　me　to　put　my　name　in　〃Gallegher〃　to　have　it　raffled　for。　　〃Dear〃　Bonsal　arrives　here　next　Sunday；　so　I　am　in　great　anticipation。　　I　am　very　well；　tell　mother；　and　amused。　　Lots　of　love。

DICK。


PARIS；　June　13；　1893。　DEAR　MOTHER：

There　is　nothing　much　to　say　except　that　things　still　go　on。　　I　feel　like　one　of　those　little　India　rubber　balls　in　the　jet　of　a　fountain　being　turned　and　twisted　and　not　allowed　to　rest。　　Today　I　have　been　to　hear　Yvette　Guilbert　rehearse　and　thought　her　all　Chas　thinks　her　only　her　songs　this　season　are　beneath　the　morals　of　a　medical　student。　　It　is　very　hot　and　it　is　getting　hotter。　　I　had　an　amusing　time　at　the　Grand　Prix　where　Tina　won　a　lot　of　money　on　a　tip　I　gave　her　which　I　did　not　back　myself。　　In　the　evening　Newton　took　me　to　dinner　and　to　the　Jardin　de　Paris　where　they　had　10　franc　admittance　and　where　every　thing　went　that　wasn't　nailed。　　The　dudes　put　candles　on　their　high　hats　and　the　girls　snuffed　them　out　with　kicks　and　at　one　time　the　crowd　mobbed　the　band　stand　and　then　the　stage　and　played　on　all　the　instruments。　　The　men　were　all　swells　in　evening　dress　and　the　women　in　beautiful　ball　dresses　and　it　was　a　wonderful　sight。　　It　only　happens　once　a　year　like　the　Yale…Princeton　night　at　Koster　and　Bials　except　that　the　women　are　all　very　fine　indeed。　　They　rode　pig…a…back　races　and　sang　all　the　songs。　　I　had　dinner　with　John　Drew　last　night。　　I　occasionally　sleep　and　if　Nora　doesn't　come　on　time　I　shall　be　a　skeleton　and　have　no　money　left。　　As　a　matter　of　fact　I　am　fatter　than　ever　and　can　eat　all　sorts　of　impossible　things　here　that　I　could　never　eat　at　home。　　I　lunch　every　day　with　the　Eustises　and　we　dine　out　almost　every　night。　　I　consort　entirely　with　the　poorest　of　art　students　or　the　noblest　of　princesses　and　so　far　have　kept　out　of　mischief；　but　you　can　never　tell　for　this　is　a　wicked　city　they　say；　or　it　strikes　me　as　most　amusing　at　present　only　I　cannot　see　what　Harper　and　Bros。　are　going　to　get　out　of　it。　　I　said　that　of　London　so　I　suppose　it　will　all　straighten　out　by　the　time　I　get　back。

DICK。



CHAPTER　VII

FIRST　PLAYS

When　the　season　in　Paris　had　reached　its　end；　Richard　returned　to　London　and　later　on　to　Marion；　w