Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 10 — page 6: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

6 a species of deception more frequently employed, and | and that she would not very speedily appear. This with more success than may be generally thought, in | conjecture was wellfounded. On learning the catastro- ali classes of society; and such is the aim of these Me-. poe which had prevented her from plucking the last | moirs. Let them be reflected on in every particular, feather from % wing. Rosine had set out in a hack- and who knows but some fine morning the duties of ney-coach for Versailles to rejoin her friend. The attorney-general, ju ze, gendarme, andagent of police, finery, which she left in her furnished apartments, was — be discovered to have been sinecures. not sufficient to pay for the two months lodging due to y the landlord, a gen ong I was going out compelled me —_—- —_- —_-—— ~ stay at Amsterdam was very short. Having con- verted into cash two bills of those left me by the/|to pay for the c haroness, [ set out, and on the 22d of March, 1796, made broken in my first transports of anger. iny entrance into the capital, where at a future day Such violent inroads my name was destined to make some noise. I put. nances. Fourteen hundred francs up at the hotel du Gaillard-Bois in Rue de l’Echelle and first employed myself in changing my ducats into French money, and in selling a quantity of small jewelry and trinkets, now supertluous to me, as I re- solved on establishing myself.in some vill in the environs, and enter into some b C88; | but this prosece was not to be One evén- | ing, one of those persons who are always to be found ia hotels seeking acquaintance with travelers, pro | to present me at a house where there was a a k one remained of ror, as it had been so unpropitious to me, and resolved at least find resources which I should in vain seek for at Paris. CHAPTER IV. LILe, as a fortified and frontier town, offered advantages to all, who, like myself, were likely to fin there useful acquaintances, either among the military ortunately consented, confiding in my experience of | of the garrison, or that class of persons who, with one the Cafe Ture and the Cafe de la Monnaie; but I soon | foot in France and the other in Belgium, have really no found that gamblers of Brussels were but bunglers in | home in either; and I relied a little on this for recover- eomparison with these gentlemen, of whose society | | ing un self, and my hope was not groundless. In the now formed one. Now the games of chance are better lithe w's I met several officers of the south, and rec mem, ph and more equal; but at this time, the police | among the rest a lieutenant named Villedieu, whom tolerating those Emcee, called etouffoirs, they were we shall presently hear more of. All these persons had not contented with slipping a card or managing the only known me in the iment under one of the noms suits as they liked—sometimes at M. Lafitte’s, Messrs. | de guerre, which it was the custom at this time to as- S—, jun., and A, de la Rock's—the knowing ones had | sume, and were therefore not astonished at seeing me conventional — so combined that they must suc- | bear the name of Rousseau. I spent the day with them coped. Two sittings cleared me of a hun louis; I | at the cafe or fencing-rooms, but this was not lucrative, had enough tospare still, but it was decreed that the | and I act began to be in want of money. At this mo of the baroness should soon leave my company. | juncture a visitor of the cafe whom they called Ren- The destined agent of its ae was @ very pretiy | tier, from his regular life, and who had made me many woman, whom I met at a table d’hote, which I some- compliments, of which he was very prodigal to all the tames frequented. Rosine, for that was her nama, at | world, inquired with some interest into my affairs, and first showed an exemplary disinterestedness. A month | asked me to travel with him. afterward I was her acknowledged lover, without | To travel was all very well: but in what quality? I having spent anything but for dinners, theaters, coach- | was no longer of an age to engage myself as merry- hire, gowns, ribands, flowers, etc., all which thingy cos/ | andrew or valet-de-chambre of monkeys and bears, and nothing at Paris, when we do not pay for them. nobody would doubtless make me such a proposition; More and more enamored of ine, I never left | but yet it was necessary to know in what capacity. i her, One morning, while at breakfast, I found her | asked my new protector, very modestly, what duties I thoughiful; I pressed her with inquiries, which sho | had to perform in his service. ‘I am an itinerant doc- and finished by avowing to me that she was | tor,” said this man, whose bushy eyebrows and sun- troubled about a little trifle due to her milliner and , burnt skin gave him a singular physioguomy; “I cure uphoilsterer. I offered my servicas instantly, which | secret diseases with an infallible recipe. 1 c were refused with remarkable magnanimity, and I | mals, and lately restored the horses of a squadron of could not .ven learn the names of her two creditors. | of the 13th chasseurs, whom the veterinary surgeon Many very excellent ple would have left the matter | had given over. ‘ Well,” saidI to myself, ‘* once more here, but, like a true tight I had not a moment’s rest | a doctor.’ But there was no rece ; we agreed to until Divine, the waiting-mal given me the | start next morning, and to meet at fivein the morn- desired addresses. From the Rue Vivienne, where ing at the gatel to the Paris Rosine lived, who was called Madame de Saint Mich was punctual at the rendezvous, and my frien I ran to the upholsterer, in the Ruede Clery. I told | who was equally punctual, sw 4 my trunk strap him:the purpose of my visit, and he immediately over- | at the back of a said that it would be useless to whelmed me with pgliten as is usually the case | take it, as we shoukl be only three days away, and under such circumsfances. He handed me the bill, | must go on foot. At this observation I sent my goods which, to my consternation, amounted to twelve hun- | back to the inn, and we walked on at a brisk rate, hav- red tranes: but I was too far gone to recede now, | ing, as my guide said, to make five leagues before mid- At the milliner’s the same scene took place, with an; day. About this time we reached a solitary farm- additional hundred francs; it was sufficient to have | house, where he was received with open arms and intimidated the boldest, and yet matters bad not} saluted by the name of Caron, which was str to reached thelr climax. Some days after I had paid the | me who had always heard him called Christian. creditors, they brought me jewels to purchase, to the | a few words the master of the house went into his amount of two thousand francs, and other similar | chamber and returned with two or three bags of expenses perpetually occurred. [ saw my money ily | crowns, which he spread on the table. My friend took pte this way, but ros ip | that it would not be so| them, and exam replenished, I parted with it less freely from day to | which appeared to me affected, put aside one hundred I went on, and found that at the end | and moderate sum of four- | different money, with a premium of six crowns: I under- stood nothing of this operation, which was carried on day. However of two months [ had spent the teen thousand francs. This discovery made me serious, The N ew York Library. ina and cheval glass which I had_ ad dreadfully reduced my fi- | the ducats of the baroness! I left the capital with hor- | to regain Lille, where, knowing the localities, I might | , stitutes for window glasses. eroak had ure ani- | ee SSS g them singly with an attention | fifty, and counted out a like sum for the farmer in | : and Rosine immediate rceivedit. She guessed that | in a Flemish dialect, o which I understood but very my finances were gett low. Women have t | little. I was then much astonished when on leaving | tact in this respect, and are but rarely deceived; and | the farm, where Christian had said he would soon re- turn, he gave me three crowns, 5a that I ought to have a share of the profits. I could not learn what the rofits were, and said so. “‘That is my ong | said om with a mysterious air; “you shall know it at a future time, if I am satisfied with you.”’ I told him that he — rely on my discretion since I knew no only that he had c ed crowns for another coin. He told me that this was the only point on which ties, and I therefore without being exactly cold toward me, she yet showed a kind of reserve, and on my manifesting astonish- ment, she answered me with singular abruptness, , pete matters put her out of temper.’’ That was a trick, but I had boen too deeply a sufferer already by my interference in these pay matters to proffer again to arrange them, and I advised her with an air of coolness to have patience. She became only more con- temptuous, passed some days in pouting, and then the | I ought to be silent, to avoid difficul storm burst. | the money wi At the conelusion of some trifling discussion, she from all this. said, with a very t tone, “that she did not choose For four days we made similar excursions to various to be crossed, and that those who could not put up with | farms, and every evening I touched two or three her ways had better remain at home.” That was plain | crowns. Christian, whom they all called Caron, was speaking; but I was weak enough to appear not to | well known in this part of Brabant, but only as a doc- understand her. New presents brought back a tempo- | tor; for, although he everywhere carried on his change rary renewal of kindness, which, however eould no | of mon © conversation was way os ae healing er im upon me. Then knowing all that she | man ow tana I found besides that he a reputation trom my blind infatuation, Rosine soon re- | for removing the charms cast on animals. A pro which he made meas we entered the village of vique, initiated me into this species of magic, ya I rely on you?” said he to me, stopping suddenly. r- tainly,” said 1; “but for what and how? Listen, and learn.” He took from a sort of e-bag four square kets made up like yooes <6 a emniate, aa, apes - A Gon ning some ; he then sa Ose four farms, situated at some distance from each other; you can enter them the back way, ons & agreea one sees you; get into the stable, and throw into the went to the perfidious woman, but she was absent: and manger e powder of one of these ets. Take enraged and | humiliated at the same time, I could not | great care that you are not discovered—I will take care restrain myself. I was in the bed-room, and at one | of the rest.” I objected to this, as I might be surprised kick I overthrew a stand covered with china, and a | at the moment I was climbing the _— and they would cheval glass was shivered to atoms. Divine, the wait- | seize me, and perhaps put some awkward questions, I tne-mait, who had followed a down on her knees and me to pause e m what would cost me so dear: I looked at her and hesi and a rem- nantof common sense induced me to to the charge for cash for a letter of credit for two thousand francs, which she had toepay or else go to prison. Rosine in prison! The idea was insup- portable, and I was about to discharge the debt at ouce, when chance placed in my way a letter which m es, “Roa From the platonic friend of Rosine, who was staying at Versailles, and this interesting porns — Wy spece the n would be = ee ~~ “ make a ce, le missive in ee bands of Rosine’s porter. I crowns, and all Christian's eloquence f led in persuad- me. I even said that i vould quit him at on - ess he would : ees to me his real anes — © m of ex of money, which seem to asrectnaie Fawn iy This declaration seemed to embarrass and, as we may learn, he endeavored scent, in making me a half that she was right. I questioned her~and the — girl, who had ren been — and attentive, told me all about her mistress. It is the more in place to mention her statement, as the same occur oy at Paris. When Rosine met me she not anybody for | fidant. rwo months; and g me fair game, from the ex- pensive way I got ridof my money, conceived the — of profiting by it; {and her lover, whose letter I intercep and went to Versailles to stay until my moneyjshould be exhausted. It was in the name of this lover tthe p had been car- ried on for the bill of exchange which I had formerly and ts of millin upholsterer | ourselves Romamichels, in a which we are | gts ~ = apart ——_ forbidden to teach raps! n; we are also forbid- Although Gursing egreaens folly, I t as- | den to travel alone, and that is the reason why we are 0 was ye ’ tonished not to see > honor’ lady, who had io well | generally in troops of fifteen or twenty. We have had me, return. Divine told me that most probably along run through France, curing charms perter had told her that I had got the letter, | of eattlo, but tes business ty pretty well destreyed at | con- ‘““My country?” said he, answering my latter ques- tion, uy heave pone. My mother, who was hanged last year at Temeswar, belonged to a fang of emes (Bo- ) who were traversing the frontiers of and Bannat, where I was bornin a dong the pathian mountains. I say Bohemians t you may | unders for thisis not our proper name; we consen refused point-blank, in spite of the cepem re of the 8 thout knowing what was to result | _ together, and, at the end of the re | remied tint te te and spells me *iewas in ibe “COINLCDOOKS GO —_— —_ oe —_ queen man has grown too cunning, and to Flanders, where they are not us & present, The count we have been driveu 80 cunning, and the difference of mone thu finer ie pane for the exercise of our industry. As for me, [have been at Brussels on private busines: which I have just settled, and in three days I rejoin the troop at the fair of Malines. Ii is at your pleasure to accompany me; you may be useful to us. But we must have no more nonsense now!” Half embarrassed as to where I should shelter my head, and half curious to see the termination of this adventure, I agreed to go with Christian, without at all understanding how I could be usefultohim, The third day we reached Malines, whence he told me we should return to Brussels. a traversed the city, we reed in the Faubourg de Louvain, before a wretch- ed-looking house with blackened walls, furrowed with wide crevices, and many bundles of straw as sub- It was midnight, and I time to make my observations by the moonlight, for more than half an hour elapsed before the door was opened by one of the most hideous old hags I ever saw in my life. We were then introduced to a long room, where thirty persons of both sexes were in- discriminately smoking and drinking, mingling in strange and Soentin® pontine Under their blue loose frocks, ornamented with red embroidery, the men wore biue velvet waistcoats with silver buttons, like the Andalusian muleteers; the clothing of the women was all of one bright color: there were some ferocious countenances among them, but yet they were all feasting. The monotonous sound of the drum, mingled with the howling of two dogs tied under the table, ac- companied the strange songs, which 1 mistook for a funeral psalm. The smoke of tobacco and woo], which filed this den, scarcely allowed me to perceive in the midst of the room a woman who, adorned with a scarlet turban, was performing a wild dance with the most wanton postures, On our entrance there was a pause in the festivity: the men came to shake hands with Christian and the women to embrace him, and then all eyes were turned on me, who felt much embarrassed at my present situ- ation. I had been told a thousand strange stories of the Bohemians, which did not increase my comfortable feelings: they nught take offense at any scruples I shoud; make, and might get rid of me before It was ever known where I had gone to, since no one could trace me to such a haunt. My disquietude became suf- ficiently apparent to attract the attention of Christian, who thought to assure me by sa ing that we were at the house of the duchess (a title which is equivalent to that of mother among such comrades), and that we were in perfect safety. My appetite decided me on taking my part at the banquet. The gin bottle was often filled and emptied, when I felt an inclination to go to bed. At the first word that I said Christian conducted me to a neighboring closet, where were already on clean straw several Bohemians. It did not suit me to be icular; but I could not prevent myself from oy) patron why he, who had always before se- lected suc Sood, quarters, bad) mate Chesce of so bad. a sleeping-place? He told me that in all towns, where there was a house of the Romamichels, they were con- strained to lodge, under of being considered as a false brother, and as such punished by a council of the tribe. Women and children all slept in this military bed; and the sleep which soon overtook them proved that it was a familiar couch, At break of day everybody was on foot, and the gen- eral toilet was made. But for their prominent Fea. tures, without their raven-black tresses and that oily and tanned skin, I should scarcely have recognized my companions of the preceding evening. The men, clad in, rich jockey holland vests, with leathern sashes like those worn by the inhabitants of Poissy, and the wom- en covered with ornaments of gold and silver, as- sumed the costume of Zealand peasants: even the children, whom I have seen covered with rags, were neatly clothed, and had an enti different appear- ance. All soon left the house and took different direc- tions, that they might not reach the market-place all together, where the ooeay ! people were assembling in crowds. Christian, seeing that 1 was preparin low him, told me that he should not have need of me the whole day, and that I might go wherever I pleased until evening, when we were to meet at the house of the duchess. He then put some crowns in my hand and left me. As in our conversation of the previous evening he had told me that I was not com led to lodge with the troop, I began by ordering a bed at the inn. Then, not kno how to kill time, I went to the fair, and hed scarcely gone round it four or five times, when I met face to face an old officer of the recruiting battalions named Malgaret, whom I had known as making one the gambling set at the Cafe Ture at Brussels. After the first salutations, he asked me why I was staying at Malines. I told him a weed A and he was equally com- municative about his travels; and we were thus con- tent, each thinking that he had imposed on the other. Having taken some refreshments we returned to the fair, and every part where there was a crowd I met some of the lodgers of the duchess. Having told m companion that I had no acquaintance at Malines, turned my head that they might not recognize me, for to fol- care that no | I did not much care to confess that I bad euch friends; but I had too cunning a fox to deal with, ‘‘ Look,” said he to me, looking me full in the face, “look at those ple who are re =e you so attentively, Pray, do you know them?” Without turning my head I replied that I had never seen them before, and did not even know who they were, “ Who they are!” re- eae my companion, ‘I will tell you—supposing you to aes oy! are robbers!" ‘Ro avers I re- pli “‘How do you know it?” ‘In the same t you shal soon know if you will follow me, for it a fair bet that we shall not have far to go without find- them at work. Come along—here they are.” my eyes toward a crowd in front of a me- nagerie, | perceived one of the false jockeys taking the purse of a fat rani, whom we saw the next mo- ment seeking for it in his pockets. The Bohemian then entered a jeweler’s shop, where were already two of the pretended d ts, and my companion | assured me that he would not come out until he had pilfered some of the jewels that were shown to him. é then left our of observation to go and Cine panion disposed to talk, I p a