"But suppose, now, some relation, of whom you have never heard, should die and leave you a fortune--say twelve hundred francs a year--to you, who live upon five hundred francs----"
"It might prove a good thing--perhaps an evil."
"An evil?"
"I am very happy as I am; I can enjoy the life I now lead, but I do not know how I should pa.s.s my time if I were rich. After a hard day"s work, I go to bed, my lamp extinguished, and, by a few light embers that remain in my stove, I see my room neat--curtains, drawers, chairs, birds, watch, and my table spread with goods intrusted to me-- and then I say to myself, "All this I owe to myself." Truly, neighbor, these thoughts cradle me softly, and sometimes I go to sleep with pride, always with content. But here we are at the Temple! You must confess, now, that it is a very superb show!"
Although Rudolph did not partic.i.p.ate in the deep veneration expressed by Miss Dimpleton at the sight of the Temple, he was nevertheless struck by the singular appearance of this enormous bazaar, with its numerous divisions and pa.s.sages. Toward the middle of the Rue du Temple, not far from a fountain which was placed in the angle of a large square, might be seen an immense parallelogram built of timber, surmounted with a slated roof. That building is the Temple. Bounded on the left by the Rue du Pet.i.t Thouars, on the right by the Rue Percee, it finished in a vast rotunda, surrounded with a gallery, forming a sort of arcade. A long opening, intersecting this parallelogram in its length, divided it in two equal parts; these were in their turn divided and subdivided by little lateral and transverse courts, sheltered from the rain by the roof of the edifice. In this bazaar new merchandise is generally prohibited; but the smallest rag of any stuff, the smallest piece of iron, bra.s.s, or steel, there found its buyer or seller.
There you saw dealers in sc.r.a.ps of cloth of all colors, ages, shades, qualities, and fashion, to a.s.similate either with worn-out or ill-fitting garments. Some of the shops presented mountains of old shoes, some trodden down at heel, others twisted, torn, split, and in holes, presenting a ma.s.s of nameless, formless, colorless objects, among which were grimly visible some species of _fossil_ soles, about an inch thick, studded with thick nails, like a prison door, and hard as a horseshoe, the actual skeletons of shoes whose other component parts had long since been devoured by Time. Yet all this moldy, rusty, dried-up acc.u.mulation of decaying rubbish found a willing purchaser, an extensive body of _merchants_ trading in this particular line.
There existed retailers of tr.i.m.m.i.n.g, fringes, cords, ravelings of silk, cotton, or thread, during the destruction of curtains, etc., rendered unfit for use. Other industrious persons occupied themselves in the business of women"s bonnets; these bonnets never came to their shop but in the bags of the retailer, after the most singular changes, the most extraordinary transformations, the most unheard-of discolorations. To prevent the merchandise taking up too much room in a shop usually of the size of a large box, they folded these bonnets in two, after which they smoothed them and pressed them down excessively tight--saving the salt, it is positively the same process as is used in the preservation of herrings: thus you may imagine how much, thanks to this method of stowage, may be contained in a s.p.a.ce of four square feet.
When the purchaser presents himself, they withdraw these bags from the pressure to which they are subject; the merchant, with a careless air, gives a slight push with his fist to the bottom of the crown, to raise it up, smooths the front upon his knee, and presents to your eyes an object at once whimsically fantastical, which recalls confusedly to your memory those fabulous head-dresses favored by box-keepers, aunts of opera dancers, or duennas of provincial theaters. Further on, at the sign of the _Gout du jour_, under the arcades of the Rotunda, elevated at the end of the wide opening which separates the Temple in two parts, were hanging, like _exotics_, numerous clothes, in color, shape, and make still more extravagant than those of the bonnets just described. Here were seen frock-coats, flashily set off by three rows of hussar-jacket b.u.t.tons, and warmly ornamented with a little fur collar of fox"s skin. Great-coats, formerly of bottle-green, rendered by time _invisible_, edged with a black cord, and brightened by a lining of plaid, blue and yellow, which had a most laughable effect. Coats, formerly styled the "swallow-tails," of a reddish-brown, with a handsome collar of plush, ornamented with b.u.t.tons, once gilt, but now of a copper color. There were also to be seen Polish cloaks, with collars of cat-skin, frogged, and faced with old black cotton-velvet; not far from these were dressing-gowns, cunningly made of watchmen"s old great-coats, from which were taken the many capes, and lined with pieces of printed cotton; the better sort were of dead blue and dark green, patched up with sundry pieces of variegated colors, and fastened round the waist with an old woolen bell-rope serving for a girdle, making a finish to these elegant _deshabilles_, so exultingly worn by Robert Macaire.
We shall briefly pa.s.s over a variety of "loud" costumes, more or less uncouth, in the midst of which might here and there be seen some authentic relics of royalty or greatness, dragged by the revolution of time from palaces and n.o.ble halls, to figure on the dingy shelves of the Rotunda.
These exhibitions of old shoes, old hats, and ridiculous old dresses, were on the grotesque side of the bazaar--the quarter for beggars, ostentatiously decked out and disguised; but it must be allowed, or rather distinctly a.s.serted, that this vast establishment was of immense use to the humble cla.s.ses, or those of limited means. There they might purchase, at an amazing reduction in price, excellent things, almost new, the actual depreciation in value being almost imaginary. On one side of the Temple, set apart for bedding, there were heaps of coverlets, sheets, mattresses, and pillows. Further on were carpets, curtains, and all sorts of kitchen utensils, besides clothes, shoes, and head-dresses for all cla.s.ses and ages. These objects, generally of perfect cleanliness, offered nothing repugnant to the sight.
One could scarcely believe, before visiting the bazaar, how little time and money were requisite to fill a cart with all that is necessary to the complete fitting out of two or three families who wanted everything.
Rudolph was struck by the manner, at once eager, obliging, and merry, with which the various dealers, standing outside their shops, solicited the custom of the pa.s.sers-by; these manners, stamped with a sort of respectful familiarity, seemed to belong to another age.
Scarcely had Miss Dimpleton and her companion appeared in the long pa.s.sage occupied by those who sold bedding, than they were surrounded by the most seductive offers.
"Sir, come in and see my mattresses; they are better than new! I will unsew a corner, that you may examine the stuffing; you will think it lambs"-wool, it is so white and soft!"
"My pretty little lady, I have sheets of fine holland, finer than at first, for their stiffness has been taken out of them; they are as soft as a glove, strong as steel!"
"Come, my elegant new-married couple, buy of me a counterpane. See how soft, warm, and light they are--you would imagine them of eider-down; nearly new--have not been used twenty times. Look, my little lady; decide for your husband; give me your custom--I will furnish very cheaply for you--you will be satisfied--you will come again to Mother Bouvard. You will find all you want in my shop; yesterday I made beautiful purchases--you shall see them all. Come in, anyhow; it will not cost anything to look."
"By my faith, neighbor," said Rudolph to Miss Dimpleton, "this good fat woman shall have the preference. She takes us for young married people; the supposition flatters me, and I decide for her shop."
"To the good fat woman"s, then," answered Miss Dimpleton; "her face pleases me too."
The grisette and her companion then entered Mother Bouvard"s shop. By a magnanimity perhaps unexampled anywhere but at the Temple, the rivals of Mother Bouvard did not rebel at the preference accorded her; one of the neighbors, indeed, had the generosity to say, "So long as it is Mother Bouvard, and no other, who has this customer, it is very well: she has a family, and is the oldest inhabitant of the Temple, and an honor to it." It was, besides, impossible to have a face more prepossessing, open, and joyous than hers.
"Here, my pretty little lady," said she to Miss Dimpleton, who examined everything with the manner of one capable of judging, "this is the purchase of which I spoke; two beds, completely fitted up, and as good as new. If by chance you want a little old secretary, and not dear, there is one," and she pointed to it, "that I had in the same lot. Although I do not generally buy furniture, I could not refuse to take it, as the person of whom I had all this seemed so unhappy. Poor lady! it was the parting with that, above all, that appeared to rend her heart; an old piece of furniture very long with the family."
At these words, while the shopkeeper and Miss Dimpleton were debating the prices of different articles, Rudolph looked more attentively at the piece of furniture which Mother Bouvard had pointed out. It was one of those old secretaries of rosewood, in shape nearly triangular, shut in by a panel in front, which, thrown back, and supported by two long bra.s.s hinges, could be used as a writing-desk. In the middle of the panel, inlaid with different-colored wood, Rudolph noticed a cipher in ebony, an M. and R. interlaced, and surmounted by the coronet of a count. He imagined its last possessor to belong to an elevated cla.s.s of society. His curiosity increased; he examined the secretary with renewed attention; he opened mechanically the drawers, one after the other, when, finding some difficulty in opening the last, and seeking the cause, he discovered and drew out carefully a sheet of paper, partly entangled between the drawer and the bottom of the secretary. While Miss Dimpleton was finishing her purchases with Mother Bouvard, Rudolph narrowly scrutinized the paper; from the many erasures it was easily to be seen that it was an unfinished draught of a letter. Rudolph, with difficulty, read as follows:
"Sir,--Be a.s.sured that misfortunes the most frightful could alone compel me to address you. It is not from ill-placed pride I feel these scruples, but the absolute want of any claim to the service I venture to ask of you. The sight of my daughter, reduced, like myself, to the most painful privation, urges me to the task. A few words will explain the cause of the misfortunes which overwhelm me. After the death of my husband, there remained to me a fortune of three hundred thousand francs, placed by my brother with M. Jacques Ferrand, notary. I received at Angers, where I had retired with my daughter, the interest of this sum in remittances from my brother. You remember, sir, the frightful event that put an end to his existence: ruined, as it appeared, by secret and unfortunate speculations, he destroyed himself eight months since. Before this melancholy event, I received from him a few lines, written in despair, in which he said, when I read them he should have ceased to exist; he finished by informing me that he possessed no doc.u.ment relative to the sum placed in my name with M.
Jacques Ferrand, as that individual never gave a receipt, but was honor and goodness itself, and it would only be necessary for me to call on him for the affairs to be satisfactorily arranged. As soon as I could possibly turn my attention to anything but the fearful death of my brother, I came to Paris, where I knew no one but yourself, sir, and that indirectly, by business you had had with my husband. I told you that the sum placed with M. Jacques Ferrand comprised the whole of my fortune, and that my brother sent me, every six months, the interest derived from that sum. More than a year having pa.s.sed since the last payment, I consequently called on the notary, to demand that of which I stood greatly in want. Scarcely had I made myself known, than, without respecting my grief, he accused my brother of having borrowed from him two thousand francs, which he had entirely lost by his death; adding, that not only was his suicide a crime toward G.o.d and man, but that it was still further an act of dishonesty, of which he was the victim. This odious speech made me indignant. The upright conduct of my brother was well known; he had, it is true, without the knowledge of myself or his friends, lost his fortune in hazardous speculations, but he died with his reputation unsullied, regretted by every one, and leaving no debts, save that to his notary. I replied to M. Ferrand that I authorized him to take instantly, from the sum he had in his charge of mine, the two thousand francs my brother was indebted to him. At these words he looked at me in stupefied manner, and asked me of what money I spoke. "The three hundred thousand francs that my brother placed in your hands eighteen months since, sir; the interest of which you have remitted, through him," said I not comprehending his question. The notary shrugged his shoulders, smiled in pity, as though my a.s.sertion was not true, and answered me that, so far from having placed money with him, he had borrowed two thousand francs.
"It is impossible to explain to you my terror at this answer. "But what, then, has become of this sum?" asked I. "My daughter and myself have no other resource; if it be taken from us, there remains but the greatest misery. What will become of us?" "I know nothing about it,"
said the notary coolly: "it is most likely that your brother, instead of placing this sum with me, as he told you, made use of it in those unfortunate speculations to which he gave himself up, without the knowledge of any one." "It is false, sir!" I exclaimed; "my brother was honor"s self. Far from despoiling myself and child, he sacrificed himself to us. He would never marry, that he might leave all he possessed to my child." "Dare you a.s.sume, then, madame, that I am capable of denying a trust reposed in me?" asked the notary, with an indignation so apparently honorable and sincere, that I replied, "No, sir; without doubt your reputation for probity is well known; but, notwithstanding, I cannot accuse my brother of so cruel an abuse of confidence." "Upon what deeds do you found this demand on me?" asked M. Ferrand. "None, sir; eighteen months since, my brother, who took upon himself the management of my affairs, wrote to me, saying, "I have an excellent opportunity of realizing six per cent.; send me your warrant of attorney; I will deposit three hundred thousand francs, which I have concluded about, with M. Ferrand, the notary." I sent the power of attorney; and, a few days after, he informed me that he had effected the deposit with you, and at the end of six months he sent me the interest of that sum. "At least you have some letters from him on the subject, madame?" "No, sir; as they related only to business, I did not preserve them." "I, unhappily, madame, know nothing of all this," replied the notary; "if my character was not above all suspicion, all attack, I should say to you, "The law is open to you-- proceed against me; the judges will have to choose between an honorable man, who for thirty years has enjoyed the esteem of persons of consideration, and the posthumous declaration of a man who, after ruining himself in the most hazardous speculations, found refuge only in suicide." In short, I say to you now, attack me, madame, if you dare, and the memory of your brother will be dishonored! But I should think that you will nave the good sense to be resigned to a misfortune, doubtless very great, but to which I am a stranger." "But, sir, I am a mother; if my fortune is lost to me, my daughter and myself have only the resource of some little furniture; that sold, there remains but misery, sir, appalling misery!" "You have, unfortunately, been cheated; I can do nothing," replied the notary.
"Again I tell you, madame, your brother deceived you. If you hesitate between my word and his, proceed against me; the law is open to you--I abide by its decision." I left the office of the notary in the deepest despair. What remained for me to do in this extremity. Without any doc.u.ment to prove the validity of my claim, convinced of the strict honesty of my brother, confounded by the a.s.surance of M. Ferrand, having no one from whom I could ask advice (you were then traveling), knowing that money was necessary to have the opinion of counsel, and wishing carefully to preserve the little which was left to me, I dared not undertake the commencement of a lawsuit. It was then--"
This copy of a letter ended here, for strokes not decipherable, covered some lines which followed: at last, at the bottom, in a corner of the page, Rudolph read the following memorandum: "_Write to the d.u.c.h.ess de Lucenay, for M. de Saint-Remy_."
Rudolph remained thoughtful after the perusal of this fragment of a letter, in which he had found two names whose connection struck him.
Although the additional infamy with which M. Ferrand appeared to be accused was not proved, this man had shown himself so pitiless towards the unfortunate Morel, so infamous to Louise, his daughter, that a denial of the deposit, protected as he was from certain discovery, did not appear strange, coming from such a wretch. This mother, who claimed a fortune which had so strangely disappeared, no doubt accustomed to the comforts of life, was ruined by a blow so sudden: knowing no one at Paris, as the letter said, what could now be the existence of these two females, deprived of everything, alone in the heart of this immense city?
The prince had, as we know, promised to Lady d"Harville _some intrigues_, which he hazarded for the purpose of occupying her mind, and a part to perform in some future work of charity, feeling certain of finding, before his again meeting the lady, some grief to a.s.suage: he trusted that perhaps chance might throw in his path some worthy, unfortunate person, who could, agreeably to his project, interest the heart and imagination of Lady d"Harville. The wording of the letter that he held in his hands, a copy of which, without doubt, had never been sent to the person from whom a.s.sistance was implored, showed a character proud and resigned, to whom the offer of charity would be no doubt repugnant. In that case, what precautions and delicate deceptions would be necessary to hide the source of a generous succor, or to make it acceptable! And then, what address to gain introduction to this lady, so that you might judge if she really merited the interest it seemed she ought to inspire! Rudolph foresaw a crowd of emotions, new, curious, and touching, which ought singularly to amuse Lady d"Harville, as he had promised her.
"Well, _husband_," said Miss Dimpleton, gayly, "what is that sc.r.a.p of paper you are reading?"
"My little _wife_," answered Rudolph, "you are very curious. I will tell you presently. Have you concluded your purchases?"
"Certainly, and your poor friends will be established like kings.
There remains only to pay. Mother Bouvard is very accommodating, it must be allowed."
"My little _wife_, an idea has just struck me; while I am paying, will you go and choose clothing for Mrs. Morel and her children; I confess my ignorance on the subject of such purchases. You can tell them to bring the things here, as there need be but one journey, and the poor people will have all at the same time."
"You are always right, _husband_. Wait for me, I shall not be long; I know two shopkeepers with whom I always deal, and I shall find there all that I want." Miss Dimpleton went out, saying, "Mother Bouvard, I trust my _husband_ to you; do not make love to him."
And, laughing, she hastily disappeared.
"Indeed, sir," said Mother Bouvard to Rudolph, after the departure of Miss Dimpleton, "you must allow that you possess a famous little manager. She understands well how to buy. So pretty! Red and white, with beautiful large black eyes, and hair to match!"
"Is she not charming? Am I not a happy husband, Mother Bouvard?"
"As happy a husband as she is a wife, I am quite sure."
"You are not mistaken there; but tell me, how much do I owe you?"
"Your little lady would not go beyond three hundred and thirty francs for all. As there is a heaven above, I only clear fifteen francs, for I did not buy them so cheaply as I might; I had not the heart to beat them down, the people who sold them appeared so very unhappy!"
"Indeed! were they not the same persons of whom you bought the little secretary?"
"Yes, sir; and its break my heart only to think of it. There came here the day before yesterday, a lady, still young and beautiful, but so pale and thin, that it gave you pain to see her. Although she was neat and clean, her old threadbare, black worsted shawl, her black stuff gown, also much worn and frayed, her straw bonnet in the month of January, for she was in mourning, proclaimed what is termed a _shabby genteel_ appearance, but I am sure she was of real quality. At length she inquired, with a blush, if I would purchase two beds complete, and an old secretary. I replied, that as I sold I must buy, and that, if they suited me, I would have them. She then begged me to go with her, not far from here, on the other side of the street, to a house on the quay of the Ca.n.a.l Saint Martin. I left my shop in charge of my niece, and followed the lady. We came to a shabby-looking house, quite at the bottom of a court; we went up to the fourth story, the lady knocked, and a young girl of fourteen opened the door; she was also in mourning, and equally pale and thin, but in spite of this, beautiful as the day--so beautiful, that I was enraptured!"
"Well, and this young girl?"
"Was the daughter of the lady in mourning. Although so cold she had on nothing more than a black cotton dress with white spots, and a little black shawl quite worn out."
"And their lodging was wretched?"
"Imagine, sir, two little rooms, very clean, but almost empty, and so cold that I was nearly frozen; a fireplace where you could not perceive the least appearance of ashes; there had not been a fire for a long time. The whole of the furniture consisted of two beds, two chairs, a chest of drawers, an old trunk, and the little secretary.
Upon the trunk was a bundle in a handkerchief. This bundle was all that remained to the mother and daughter, when once their furniture was sold. The landlord selected the two bedsteads, the chairs, trunk, and table, for what they were indebted to him, as the porter said who came up with us. When the lady begged me to put a fair value on the mattress, sheets, curtains, and blankets, on the faith of an honest woman, sir, although I live by buying cheap and selling dear, when I saw the poor young lady, her eyes filled with tears, and her mother, in spite of her calmness, appearing to weep inwardly, I estimated them within fifteen francs of their value to sell again, I a.s.sure you; I even consented, to oblige them, to take the little secretary, although it is not in my line of business."
"I will buy it of you, Mother Bouvard."
"Will you though? So much the better, sir; it would have remained on my hands a long time, and I only took it to serve the lady. I then told her what I would give for the things, and I expected she would ask me more than I had offered; but no, she said not a word about it.
This still more satisfied me that she was no common person; _genteel poverty_, sir, be a.s.sured. I said, "So much," she answered, "Thank you! now let us return to your shop, and you can then pay me, as I shall not come back again to this house." Then, speaking to her daughter, who was sitting on the trunk, crying, she said, "Claire, take the bundle." I remember the name well. The young lady rose up, but in pa.s.sing by the side of the little secretary, she threw herself on her knees before it, and began to sob. "Courage, my child, they are looking at us," said her mother, in a low tone, but yet I heard her.
You can understand, sir, they are poor but proud people. When the lady gave me the key of the little secretary, I noticed a tear in her eyes, her heart seemed breaking at parting with the old piece of furniture; but she still tried to preserve her calmness and dignity before strangers. She then gave the porter to understand that I was to take away all the landlord did not keep, and afterward we returned here.
The young lady gave her arm to her mother, and carried in her hand the little bundle which contained their all. I paid them three hundred and fifteen francs, and have not since seen them."
"But their name?"