at the sign of the cat and racket-第3章

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practical　joke。

〃Well；　gentlemen；　what　ails　you　that　you　are　standing　there　with　your
arms　folded？〃　said　Monsieur　Guillaume　to　his　three　neophytes。　〃In
former　days；　bless　you；　when　I　was　in　Master　Chevrel's　service；　I
should　have　overhauled　more　than　two　pieces　of　cloth　by　this　time。〃

〃Then　it　was　daylight　earlier；〃　said　the　second　assistant；　whose　duty
this　was。

The　old　shopkeeper　could　not　help　smiling。　Though　two　of　these　young
fellows；　who　were　confided　to　his　care　by　their　fathers；　rich
manufacturers　at　Louviers　and　at　Sedan；　had　only　to　ask　and　to　have　a
hundred　thousand　francs　the　day　when　they　were　old　enough　to　settle　in
life；　Guillaume　regarded　it　as　his　duty　to　keep　them　under　the　rod　of
an　old…world　despotism；　unknown　nowadays　in　the　showy　modern　shops；
where　the　apprentices　expect　to　be　rich　men　at　thirty。　He　made　them
work　like　Negroes。　These　three　assistants　were　equal　to　a　business
which　would　harry　ten　such　clerks　as　those　whose　sybaritical　tastes
now　swell　the　columns　of　the　budget。　Not　a　sound　disturbed　the　peace
of　this　solemn　house；　where　the　hinges　were　always　oiled；　and　where
the　meanest　article　of　furniture　showed　the　respectable　cleanliness
which　reveals　strict　order　and　economy。　The　most　waggish　of　the　three
youths　often　amused　himself　by　writing　the　date　of　its　first
appearance　on　the　Gruyere　cheese　which　was　left　to　their　tender
mercies　at　breakfast；　and　which　it　was　their　pleasure　to　leave
untouched。　This　bit　of　mischief；　and　a　few　others　of　the　same　stamp；
would　sometimes　bring　a　smile　on　the　face　of　the　younger　of
Guillaume's　daughters；　the　pretty　maiden　who　has　just　now　appeared　to
the　bewitched　man　in　the　street。

Though　each　of　these　apprentices；　even　the　eldest；　paid　a　round　sum
for　his　board；　not　one　of　them　would　have　been　bold　enough　to　remain
at　the　master's　table　when　dessert　was　served。　When　Madame　Guillaume
talked　of　dressing　the　salad；　the　hapless　youths　trembled　as　they
thought　of　the　thrift　with　which　her　prudent　hand　dispensed　the　oil。
They　could　never　think　of　spending　a　night　away　from　the　house　without
having　given；　long　before；　a　plausible　reason　for　such　an
irregularity。　Every　Sunday；　each　in　his　turn；　two　of　them　accompanied
the　Guillaume　family　to　Mass　at　Saint…Leu；　and　to　vespers。
Mesdemoiselles　Virginie　and　Augustine；　simply　attired　in　cotton　print；
each　took　the　arm　of　an　apprentice　and　walked　in　front；　under　the
piercing　eye　of　their　mother；　who　closed　the　little　family　procession
with　her　husband；　accustomed　by　her　to　carry　two　large　prayer…books；
bound　in　black　morocco。　The　second　apprentice　received　no　salary。　As
for　the　eldest；　whose　twelve　years　of　perseverance　and　discretion　had
initiated　him　into　the　secrets　of　the　house；　he　was　paid　eight　hundred
francs　a　year　as　the　reward　of　his　labors。　On　certain　family　festivals
he　received　as　a　gratuity　some　little　gift；　to　which　Madame
Guillaume's　dry　and　wrinkled　hand　alone　gave　valuenetted　purses；
which　she　took　care　to　stuff　with　cotton　wool；　to　show　off　the　fancy
stitches；　braces　of　the　strongest　make；　or　heavy　silk　stockings。
Sometimes；　but　rarely；　this　prime　minister　was　admitted　to　share　the
pleasures　of　the　family　when　they　went　into　the　country；　or　when；
after　waiting　for　months；　they　made　up　their　mind　to　exert　the　right
acquired　by　taking　a　box　at　the　theatre　to　command　a　piece　which　Paris
had　already　forgotten。

As　to　the　other　assistants；　the　barrier　of　respect　which　formerly
divided　a　master　draper　from　his　apprentices　was　that　they　would　have
been　more　likely　to　steal　a　piece　of　cloth　than　to　infringe　this
time…honored　etiquette。　Such　reserve　may　now　appear　ridiculous；　but
these　old　houses　were　a　school　of　honesty　and　sound　morals。　The
masters　adopted　their　apprentices。　The　young　man's　linen　was　cared
for；　mended；　and　often　replaced　by　the　mistress　of　the　house。　If　an
apprentice　fell　ill；　he　was　the　object　of　truly　maternal　attention。　In
a　case　of　danger　the　master　lavished　his　money　in　calling　in　the　most
celebrated　physicians；　for　he　was　not　answerable　to　their　parents
merely　for　the　good　conduct　and　training　of　the　lads。　If　one　of　them；
whose　character　was　unimpeachable；　suffered　misfortune；　these　old
tradesmen　knew　how　to　value　the　intelligence　he　had　displayed；　and
they　did　not　hesitate　to　entrust　the　happiness　of　their　daughters　to
men　whom　they　had　long　trusted　with　their　fortunes。　Guillaume　was　one
of　these　men　of　the　old　school；　and　if　he　had　their　ridiculous　side；
he　had　all　their　good　qualities；　and　Joseph　Lebas；　the　chief
assistant；　an　orphan　without　any　fortune；　was　in　his　mind　destined　to
be　the　husband　of　Virginie；　his　elder　daughter。　But　Joseph　did　not
share　the　symmetrical　ideas　of　his　master；　who　would　not　for　an　empire
have　given　his　second　daughter　in　marriage　before　the　elder。　The
unhappy　assistant　felt　that　his　heart　was　wholly　given　to　Mademoiselle
Augustine；　the　younger。　In　order　to　justify　this　passion；　which　had
grown　up　in　secret；　it　is　necessary　to　inquire　a　little　further　into
the　springs　of　the　absolute　government　which　ruled　the　old　cloth…
merchant's　household。

Guillaume　had　two　daughters。　The　elder；　Mademoiselle　Virginie；　was　the
very　image　of　her　mother。　Madame　Guillaume；　daughter　of　the　Sieur
Chevrel；　sat　so　upright　in　the　stool　behind　her　desk；　that　more　than
once　she　had　heard　some　wag　bet　that　she　was　a　stuffed　figure。　Her
long；　thin　face　betrayed　exaggerated　piety。　Devoid　of　attractions　or
of　amiable　manners；　Madame　Guillaume　commonly　decorated　her　headthat
of　a　woman　near　on　sixtywith　a　cap　of　a　particular　and　unvarying
shape；　with　long　lappets；　like　that　of　a　widow。　In　all　the
neighborhood　she　was　known　as　the　〃portress　nun。〃　Her　speech　was　curt；
and　her　movements　had　the　stiff　precision　of　a　semaphore。　Her　eye；
with　a　gleam　in　it　like　a　cat's；　seemed　to　spite　the　world　because　she
was　so　ugly。　Mademoiselle　Virginie；　brought　up；　like　her　younger
sister；　under　the　domestic　rule　of　her　mother；　had　reached　the　age　of
eight…and…twenty。　Youth　mitigated　the　graceless　effect　which　her
likeness　to　her　mother　sometimes　gave　to　her　features；　but　maternal
austerity　had　endowed　her　with　two　great　qualities　which　made　up　for
everything。　She　was　patient　and　gentle。　Mademoiselle　Augustine；　who
was　but　just　eighteen；　was　not　like　either　her　father　or　her　mother。
She　was　one　of　those　daughters　whose　total　absence　of　any　physical
affinity　with　their　parents　makes　one　believe　in　the　adage：　〃God　gives
children。〃　Augustine　was　little；　or；　to　describe　her　more　truly；
delicately　made。　Full　of　gracious　candor；　a　man　of　the　world　could
have　found　no　fault　in　the　charming　girl　beyond　a　certain　meanness　of
gesture　or　vulgarity　of　attitude；　and　sometimes　a　want　of　ease。　Her
silent　and　placid　face　was　full　of　the　transient　melancholy　which
comes　over　all　young　girls　who　are　too　weak　to　dare　to　resist　their
mother's　will。

The　two　sisters；　always　plainly　dressed；　could　not　gratify　the　innate
vanity　of　womanhood　but　by　a　luxury　of　cleanliness　which　became　them
wonderfully；　and　made　them　harmonize　with　the　polished　counters　and
the　shining　shelves；　on　which　the　old　man…servant　never　left　a　speck
of　dust；　and　with　the　old…world　simplicity　of　all　they　saw　about　them。
As　their　style　of　living　compelled　them　to　find　the　elements　of
happiness　in　persistent　work；　Augustine　and　Virginie　had　hitherto
always　satisfied　their　mother；　who　secretly　prided　herself　on　the
perfect　characters　of　her　two　daughters。　It　is　easy　to　imagine　the
results　of　the　training　they　had　received。　Brought　up　to　a　commercial
life；　accustomed　to　hear　nothing　but　dreary　arguments　and　calculations
about　trade；　having　studied　nothing　but　grammar；　book…keeping；　a
little　Bible…history；　and　the　history　of　France　in　Le　Ragois；　and
never　reading　any　book　but　what　their　mother　would　sanction；　their
ideas　had　not　acquired　much　scope。　They　knew　perfectly　how　to　keep
house；　they　were　familiar　with　the　prices　of　things；　they　understood
the　difficulty　of　amassing　money；　they　were　economical；　and　had　a
great　respect　for　the　qualities　that　make　a　man　of　business。　Although
their　father　was　rich；　they　were　as　skilled　in　darning