at the sign of the cat and racket-第1章

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At　the　Sign　of　the　Cat　and　Racket

by　Honore　de　Balzac

Translated　by　Clara　Bell





DEDICATION

To　Mademoiselle　Marie　de　Montheau




AT　THE　SIGN　OF　THE　CAT　AND　RACKET



Half…way　down　the　Rue　Saint…Denis；　almost　at　the　corner　of　the　Rue　du
Petit…Lion；　there　stood　formerly　one　of　those　delightful　houses　which
enable　historians　to　reconstruct　old　Paris　by　analogy。　The　threatening
walls　of　this　tumbledown　abode　seemed　to　have　been　decorated　with
hieroglyphics。　For　what　other　name　could　the　passer…by　give　to　the　Xs
and　Vs　which　the　horizontal　or　diagonal　timbers　traced　on　the　front；
outlined　by　little　parallel　cracks　in　the　plaster？　It　was　evident　that
every　beam　quivered　in　its　mortices　at　the　passing　of　the　lightest
vehicle。　This　venerable　structure　was　crowned　by　a　triangular　roof　of
which　no　example　will；　ere　long；　be　seen　in　Paris。　This　covering；
warped　by　the　extremes　of　the　Paris　climate；　projected　three　feet　over
the　roadway；　as　much　to　protect　the　threshold　from　the　rainfall　as　to
shelter　the　wall　of　a　loft　and　its　sill…less　dormer…window。　This　upper
story　was　built　of　planks；　overlapping　each　other　like　slates；　in
order；　no　doubt；　not　to　overweight　the　frail　house。

One　rainy　morning　in　the　month　of　March；　a　young　man；　carefully
wrapped　in　his　cloak；　stood　under　the　awning　of　a　shop　opposite　this
old　house；　which　he　was　studying　with　the　enthusiasm　of　an　antiquary。
In　point　of　fact；　this　relic　of　the　civic　life　of　the　sixteenth
century　offered　more　than　one　problem　to　the　consideration　of　an
observer。　Each　story　presented　some　singularity；　on　the　first　floor
four　tall；　narrow　windows；　close　together；　were　filled　as　to　the　lower
panes　with　boards；　so　as　to　produce　the　doubtful　light　by　which　a
clever　salesman　can　ascribe　to　his　goods　the　color　his　customers
inquire　for。　The　young　man　seemed　very　scornful　of　this　part　of　the
house；　his　eyes　had　not　yet　rested　on　it。　The　windows　of　the　second
floor；　where　the　Venetian　blinds　were　drawn　up；　revealing　little　dingy
muslin　curtains　behind　the　large　Bohemian　glass　panes；　did　not
interest　him　either。　His　attention　was　attracted　to　the　third　floor；
to　the　modest　sash…frames　of　wood；　so　clumsily　wrought　that　they　might
have　found　a　place　in　the　Museum　of　Arts　and　Crafts　to　illustrate　the
early　efforts　of　French　carpentry。　These　windows　were　glazed　with
small　squares　of　glass　so　green　that；　but　for　his　good　eyes；　the　young
man　could　not　have　seen　the　blue…checked　cotton　curtains　which
screened　the　mysteries　of　the　room　from　profane　eyes。　Now　and　then　the
watcher；　weary　of　his　fruitless　contemplation；　or　of　the　silence　in
which　the　house　was　buried；　like　the　whole　neighborhood；　dropped　his
eyes　towards　the　lower　regions。　An　involuntary　smile　parted　his　lips
each　time　he　looked　at　the　shop；　where；　in　fact；　there　were　some
laughable　details。

A　formidable　wooden　beam；　resting　on　four　pillars；　which　appeared　to
have　bent　under　the　weight　of　the　decrepit　house；　had　been　encrusted
with　as　many　coats　of　different　paint　as　there　are　of　rouge　on　an　old
duchess'　cheek。　In　the　middle　of　this　broad　and　fantastically　carved
joist　there　was　an　old　painting　representing　a　cat　playing　rackets。
This　picture　was　what　moved　the　young　man　to　mirth。　But　it　must　be
said　that　the　wittiest　of　modern　painters　could　not　invent　so　comical
a　caricature。　The　animal　held　in　one　of　its　forepaws　a　racket　as　big
as　itself；　and　stood　on　its　hind　legs　to　aim　at　hitting　an　enormous
ball；　returned　by　a　man　in　a　fine　embroidered　coat。　Drawing；　color；
and　accessories；　all　were　treated　in　such　a　way　as　to　suggest　that　the
artist　had　meant　to　make　game　of　the　shop…owner　and　of　the　passing
observer。　Time；　while　impairing　this　artless　painting；　had　made　it　yet
more　grotesque　by　introducing　some　uncertain　features　which　must　have
puzzled　the　conscientious　idler。　For　instance；　the　cat's　tail　had　been
eaten　into　in　such　a　way　that　it　might　now　have　been　taken　for　the
figure　of　a　spectatorso　long；　and　thick；　and　furry　were　the　tails　of
our　forefathers'　cats。　To　the　right　of　the　picture；　on　an　azure　field
which　ill…disguised　the　decay　of　the　wood；　might　be　read　the　name
〃Guillaume；〃　and　to　the　left；　〃Successor　to　Master　Chevrel。〃　Sun　and
rain　had　worn　away　most　of　the　gilding　parsimoniously　applied　to　the
letters　of　this　superscription；　in　which　the　Us　and　Vs　had　changed
places　in　obedience　to　the　laws　of　old…world　orthography。

To　quench　the　pride　of　those　who　believe　that　the　world　is　growing
cleverer　day　by　day；　and　that　modern　humbug　surpasses　everything；　it
may　be　observed　that　these　signs；　of　which　the　origin　seems　so
whimsical　to　many　Paris　merchants；　are　the　dead　pictures　of　once
living　pictures　by　which　our　roguish　ancestors　contrived　to　tempt
customers　into　their　houses。　Thus　the　Spinning　Sow；　the　Green　Monkey；
and　others；　were　animals　in　cages　whose　skills　astonished　the　passer…
by；　and　whose　accomplishments　prove　the　patience　of　the　fifteenth…
century　artisan。　Such　curiosities　did　more　to　enrich　their　fortunate
owners　than　the　signs　of　〃Providence；〃　〃Good…faith；〃　Grace　of　God；〃
and　〃Decapitation　of　John　the　Baptist；〃　which　may　still　be　seen　in　the
Rue　Saint…Denis。

However；　our　stranger　was　certainly　not　standing　there　to　admire　the
cat；　which　a　minute's　attention　sufficed　to　stamp　on　his　memory。　The
young　man　himself　had　his　peculiarities。　His　cloak；　folded　after　the
manner　of　an　antique　drapery；　showed　a　smart　pair　of　shoes；　all　the
more　remarkable　in　the　midst　of　the　Paris　mud；　because　he　wore　white
silk　stockings；　on　which　the　splashes　betrayed　his　impatience。　He　had
just　come；　no　doubt；　from　a　wedding　or　a　ball；　for　at　this　early　hour
he　had　in　his　hand　a　pair　of　white　gloves；　and　his　black　hair；　now　out
of　curl；　and　flowing　over　his　shoulders；　showed　that　it　had　been
dressed　/a　la　Caracalla/；　a　fashion　introduced　as　much　by　David's
school　of　painting　as　by　the　mania　for　Greek　and　Roman　styles　which
characterized　the　early　years　of　this　century。

In　spite　of　the　noise　made　by　a　few　market　gardeners；　who；　being　late；
rattled　past　towards　the　great　market…place　at　a　gallop；　the　busy
street　lay　in　a　stillness　of　which　the　magic　charm　is　known　only　to
those　who　have　wandered　through　deserted　Paris　at　the　hours　when　its
roar；　hushed　for　a　moment；　rises　and　spreads　in　the　distance　like　the
great　voice　of　the　sea。　This　strange　young　man　must　have　seemed　as
curious　to　the　shopkeeping　folk　of　the　〃Cat　and　Racket〃　as　the　〃Cat
and　Racket〃　was　to　him。　A　dazzlingly　white　cravat　made　his　anxious
face　look　even　paler　than　it　really　was。　The　fire　that　flashed　in　his
black　eyes；　gloomy　and　sparkling　by　turns；　was　in　harmony　with　the
singular　outline　of　his　features；　with　his　wide；　flexible　mouth；
hardened　into　a　smile。　His　forehead；　knit　with　violent　annoyance；　had
a　stamp　of　doom。　Is　not　the　forehead　the　most　prophetic　feature　of　a
man？　When　the　stranger's　brow　expressed　passion　the　furrows　formed　in
it　were　terrible　in　their　strength　and　energy；　but　when　he　recovered
his　calmness；　so　easily　upset；　it　beamed　with　a　luminous　grace　which
gave　great　attractiveness　to　a　countenance　in　which　joy；　grief；　love；
anger；　or　scorn　blazed　out　so　contagiously　that　the　coldest　man　could
not　fail　to　be　impressed。

He　was　so　thoroughly　vexed　by　the　time　when　the　dormer…window　of　the
loft　was　suddenly　flung　open；　that　he　did　not　observe　the　apparition
of　three　laughing　faces；　pink　and　white　and　chubby；　but　as　vulgar　as
the　face　of　Commerce　as　it　is　seen　in　sculpture　on　certain　monuments。
These　three　faces；　framed　by　the　window；　recalled　the　puffy　cherubs
floating　among　the　clouds　that　surround　God　the　Father。　The
apprentices　snuffed　up　the　exhalations　of　the　street　with　an　eagerness
that　showed　how　hot　and　poisonous　the　atmosphere　of　their　garret　must
be。　After　pointing　to　the　singular　sentinel；　the　most　jovial；　as　he
seemed；　of　the　apprentices　retired　and　came　back　holding　an　instrument
whose　hard　metal　pipe　is　now　superseded　by　a　leather　tube；　and　they
all　grinned　with　mischief　as　they　looked　down　on　the　loiterer；　and
sprinkled　him　with　a　fine　white　shower　of　which　the　scent　proved　that
three　chins