at the sign of the cat and racket-第6章

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had　fallen　on　the　house　of　the　Cat　and　Racket；　and　Augustine　quaked　in
every　limb　as　she　heard　her　mother　say　that　she　should　go　to　the　Salon
to　see　her　house　there。　The　young　girl　again　declared　herself
suffering；　and　obtained　leave　to　go　to　bed。

〃That　is　what　comes　of　sight…seeing；〃　exclaimed　Monsieur　Guillaume〃a
headache。　And　is　it　so　very　amusing　to　see　in　a　picture　what　you　can
see　any　day　in　your　own　street？　Don't　talk　to　me　of　your　artists！　Like
writers；　they　are　a　starveling　crew。　Why　the　devil　need　they　choose　my
house　to　flout　it　in　their　pictures？〃

〃It　may　help　to　sell　a　few　ells　more　of　cloth；〃　said　Joseph　Lebas。

This　remark　did　not　protect　art　and　thought　from　being　condemned　once
again　before　the　judgment…seat　of　trade。　As　may　be　supposed；　these
speeches　did　not　infuse　much　hope　into　Augustine；　who；　during　the
night；　gave　herself　up　to　the　first　meditations　of　love。　The　events　of
the　day　were　like　a　dream；　which　it　was　a　joy　to　recall　to　her　mind。
She　was　initiated　into　the　fears；　the　hopes；　the　remorse；　all　the　ebb
and　flow　of　feeling　which　could　not　fail　to　toss　a　heart　so　simple　and
timid　as　hers。　What　a　void　she　perceived　in　this　gloomy　house！　What　a
treasure　she　found　in　her　soul！　To　be　the　wife　of　a　genius；　to　share
his　glory！　What　ravages　must　such　a　vision　make　in　the　heart　of　a　girl
brought　up　among　such　a　family！　What　hopes　must　it　raise　in　a　young
creature　who；　in　the　midst　of　sordid　elements；　had　pined　for　a　life　of
elegance！　A　sunbeam　had　fallen　into　the　prison。　Augustine　was　suddenly
in　love。　So　many　of　her　feelings　were　soothed　that　she　succumbed
without　reflection。　At　eighteen　does　not　love　hold　a　prism　between　the
world　and　the　eyes　of　a　young　girl？　She　was　incapable　of　suspecting
the　hard　facts　which　result　from　the　union　of　a　loving　woman　with　a
man　of　imagination；　and　she　believed　herself　called　to　make　him　happy；
not　seeing　any　disparity　between　herself　and　him。　To　her　the　future
would　be　as　the　present。　When；　next　day；　her　father　and　mother
returned　from　the　Salon；　their　dejected　faces　proclaimed　some
disappointment。　In　the　first　place；　the　painter　had　removed　the　two
pictures；　and　then　Madame　Guillaume　had　lost　her　cashmere　shawl。　But
the　news　that　the　pictures　had　disappeared　from　the　walls　since　her
visit　revealed　to　Augustine　a　delicacy　of　sentiment　which　a　woman　can
always　appreciate；　even　by　instinct。

On　the　morning　when；　on　his　way　home　from　a　ball；　Theodore　de
Sommervieuxfor　this　was　the　name　which　fame　had　stamped　on
Augustine's　hearthad　been　squirted　on　by　the　apprentices　while
awaiting　the　appearance　of　his　artless　little　friend；　who　certainly
did　not　know　that　he　was　there；　the　lovers　had　seen　each　other　for　the
fourth　time　only　since　their　meeting　at　the　Salon。　The　difficulties
which　the　rule　of　the　house　placed　in　the　way　of　the　painter's　ardent
nature　gave　added　violence　to　his　passion　for　Augustine。

How　could　he　get　near　to　a　young　girl　seated　in　a　counting…house
between　two　such　women　as　Mademoiselle　Virginie　and　Madame　Guillaume？
How　could　he　correspond　with　her　when　her　mother　never　left　her　side？
Ingenious；　as　lovers　are；　to　imagine　woes；　Theodore　saw　a　rival　in　one
of　the　assistants；　to　whose　interests　he　supposed　the　others　to　be
devoted。　If　he　should　evade　these　sons　of　Argus；　he　would　yet　be
wrecked　under　the　stern　eye　of　the　old　draper　or　of　Madame　Guillaume。
The　very　vehemence　of　his　passion　hindered　the　young　painter　from
hitting　on　the　ingenious　expedients　which；　in　prisoners　and　in　lovers；
seem　to　be　the　last　effort　of　intelligence　spurred　by　a　wild　craving
for　liberty；　or　by　the　fire　of　love。　Theodore　wandered　about　the
neighborhood　with　the　restlessness　of　a　madman；　as　though　movement
might　inspire　him　with　some　device。　After　racking　his　imagination；　it
occurred　to　him　to　bribe　the　blowsy　waiting…maid　with　gold。　Thus　a　few
notes　were　exchanged　at　long　intervals　during　the　fortnight　following
the　ill…starred　morning　when　Monsieur　Guillaume　and　Theodore　had　so
scrutinized　one　another。　At　the　present　moment　the　young　couple　had
agreed　to　see　each　other　at　a　certain　hour　of　the　day；　and　on　Sunday；
at　Saint…Leu；　during　Mass　and　vespers。　Augustine　had　sent　her　dear
Theodore　a　list　of　the　relations　and　friends　of　the　family；　to　whom
the　young　painter　tried　to　get　access；　in　the　hope　of　interesting；　if
it　were　possible；　in　his　love　affairs；　one　of　these　souls　absorbed　in
money　and　trade；　to　whom　a　genuine　passion　must　appear　a　quite
monstrous　speculation；　a　thing　unheard…of。　Nothing　meanwhile；　was
altered　at　the　sign　of　the　Cat　and　Racket。　If　Augustine　was　absent…
minded；　if；　against　all　obedience　to　the　domestic　code；　she　stole　up
to　her　room　to　make　signals　by　means　of　a　jar　of　flowers；　if　she
sighed；　if　she　were　lost　in　thought；　no　one　observed　it；　not　even　her
mother。　This　will　cause　some　surprise　to　those　who　have　entered　into
the　spirit　of　the　household；　where　an　idea　tainted　with　poetry　would
be　in　startling　contrast　to　persons　and　things；　where　no　one　could
venture　on　a　gesture　or　a　look　which　would　not　be　seen　and　analyzed。
Nothing；　however；　could　be　more　natural：　the　quiet　barque　that
navigated　the　stormy　waters　of　the　Paris　Exchange；　under　the　flag　of
the　Cat　and　Racket；　was　just　now　in　the　toils　of　one　of　these　tempests
which；　returning　periodically；　might　be　termed　equinoctial。　For　the
last　fortnight　the　five　men　forming　the　crew；　with　Madame　Guillaume
and　Mademoiselle　Virginie；　had　been　devoting　themselves　to　the　hard
labor；　known　as　stock…taking。

Every　bale　was　turned　over；　and　the　length　verified　to　ascertain　the
exact　value　of　the　remnant。　The　ticket　attached　to　each　parcel　was
carefully　examined　to　see　at　what　time　the　piece　had　been　bought。　The
retail　price　was　fixed。　Monsieur　Guillaume；　always　on　his　feet；　his
pen　behind　his　ear；　was　like　a　captain　commanding　the　working　of　the
ship。　His　sharp　tones；　spoken　through　a　trap…door；　to　inquire　into　the
depths　of　the　hold　in　the　cellar…store；　gave　utterance　to　the
barbarous　formulas　of　trade…jargon；　which　find　expression　only　in
cipher。　〃How　much　H。　N。　Z。？〃〃All　sold。〃〃What　is　left　of　Q。　X。？〃
Two　ells。〃〃At　what　price？〃〃Fifty…five　three。〃〃Set　down　A。　at
three；　with　all　of　J。　J。；　all　of　M。　P。；　and　what　is　left　of　V。　D。　O。〃
A　hundred　other　injunctions　equally　intelligible　were　spouted　over
the　counters　like　verses　of　modern　poetry；　quoted　by　romantic　spirits；
to　excite　each　other's　enthusiasm　for　one　of　their　poets。　In　the
evening　Guillaume；　shut　up　with　his　assistant　and　his　wife；　balanced
his　accounts；　carried　on　the　balance；　wrote　to　debtors　in　arrears；　and
made　out　bills。　All　three　were　busy　over　this　enormous　labor；　of　which
the　result　could　be　stated　on　a　sheet　of　foolscap；　proving　to　the　head
of　the　house　that　there　was　so　much　to　the　good　in　hard　cash；　so　much
in　goods；　so　much　in　bills　and　notes；　that　he　did　not　owe　a　sou；　that
a　hundred　or　two　hundred　thousand　francs　were　owing　to　him；　that　the
capital　had　been　increased；　that　the　farmlands；　the　houses；　or　the
investments　were　extended；　or　repaired；　or　doubled。　Whence　it　became
necessary　to　begin　again　with　increased　ardor；　to　accumulate　more
crown…pieces；　without　its　ever　entering　the　brain　of　these　laborious
ants　to　ask〃To　what　end？〃

Favored　by　this　annual　turmoil；　the　happy　Augustine　escaped　the
investigations　of　her　Argus…eyed　relations。　At　last；　one　Saturday
evening；　the　stock…taking　was　finished。　The　figures　of　the　sum…total
showed　a　row　of　0's　long　enough　to　allow　Guillaume　for　once　to　relax
the　stern　rule　as　to　dessert　which　reigned　throughout　the　year。　The
shrewd　old　draper　rubbed　his　hands；　and　allowed　his　assistants　to
remain　at　table。　The　members　of　the　crew　had　hardly　swallowed　their
thimbleful　of　some　home…made　liqueur；　when　the　rumble　of　a　carriage
was　heard。　The　family　party　were　going　to　see　/Cendrillon/　at　the
Varietes；　while　the　two　younger　apprentices　each　received　a　crown　of
six　francs；　with　permission　to　go　wherever　they　chose；　provided　they
were　in　by　midnight。

Notwithstanding　this　debauch；　the　old　cloth…merchant　was　shaving
himself　at　six　next　morning；　put　on　his　maroon…colored　coat；　of　which
the