Early the next day I saw, through the partly open door, my father
finishing his toilet.
He had already fastened over his black satin breeches his garters secured
with large buckles of chased silver. Similar buckles were on his shoes.
His silver-buttoned vest of white piqué reached low down, and his black
satin coat faced with white silk had large lappets cut square. Such dress
seemed to me very warm for summer; but the fashion and etiquette allowed
only silk and velvet for visits of ceremony, and though you smothered you
had to obey those tyrants. At the moment when I saw him out of the corner
of my eye he was sticking a cluster diamond pin into his shirt-frill and
another diamond into his lace cravat. It was the first time I ever saw
papa so fine, so dressed! Presently we heard him call us to arrange his
queue, and although it was impossible for us to work up a club and pigeon
wings like those I saw on the two young Du Clozels and on M. Neville
Déclouet, we arranged a very fine queue wrapped with a black ribbon, and
after smiling at himself in the glass and declaring that he thought the
whole dress was in very good taste he kissed us, took his three-cornered
hat and his gold-headed cane and went out. With what impatience we awaited
his return!
About two hours afterward we saw papa coming back accompanied by a
gentleman of a certain age, handsome, noble, elegant in his severe suit of
black velvet. He had the finest black eyes in the world, and his face
beamed with wit and amiability. You have guessed it was the Baron du
Clozel. The baron bowed to us profoundly. He certainly knew who we were,
but etiquette required him to wait until my father had presented us; but
immediately then he asked papa's permission to kiss us, and you may
suppose your grandfather did not refuse.
M. du Clozel had been sent by the baroness to oppose our sojourn at the
inn, and to bring us back with him.
"Run, put on your hoods," said papa; "we will wait for you here."
Mr. and Mrs. Morphy were greatly disappointed to see us go, and the former
declared that if these nobles kept on taking away their custom they would
have to shut up shop. Papa, to appease him, paid him double what he asked.
And the baron gave his arm to Suzanne, as the elder, while I followed, on
papa's. Madame du Clozel and her daughter met us at the street gate. The
baroness, though not young, was still pretty, and so elegant, so majestic!
A few days later I could add, so good, so lovable!
Celeste du Clozel was eighteen. Her hair was black as ebony, and her eyes
a beautiful blue. The young men of the village called her _Celeste la bien
nommée_ [Celeste the well named]; and for all her beauty, fortune, and
high position she was good and simple and always ready to oblige. She was
engaged, we learned afterward, to the Chevalier de Blanc, the same who in
1803 was made post-commandant of Attakapas.[17] Olivier and Charles du
Clozel turned everything to our entertainment, and it was soon decided
that we should all go that same evening to the theater.
Hardly was the sun down when we shut ourselves into our rooms to begin the
work of dressing. Celeste put herself at our service, assuring us that she
knew perfectly how to dress hair. The baroness asked us to let her lend us
ornaments, ribbons--whatever we might need. We could see that she supposed
two young girls who had never seen the great world, who came from a region
where nearly all articles of luxury were wanting, could hardly have a
choice wardrobe. We thanked them, assuring Celeste that we had always
cultivated the habit of dressing each other's hair.
We put on our camayeu petticoats and our black velvet waists, adding
gloves; and in our hair, sparkling with gold powder, we put, each of us, a
bunch of the roses given us by Alix. We found ourselves charming, and
hoped to create a sensation. But if the baroness was satisfied she showed
no astonishment. Her hair, like her daughter's, was powdered, and both
wore gloves.
Suzanne on the arm of Olivier, I on Charles's, Celeste beside her fiancé,
the grandparents in front, we entered the theater of St. Martinville, and
in a moment more were the observed of all observers. The play was a
vaudeville, of which I remember only the name, but rarely have I seen
amateurs act so well: all the prominent parts were rendered by young men.
But if the French people are polite, amiable, and hospitable, we know that
they are also very inquisitive. Suzanne was more annoyed than I can tell;
yet we knew that our toilets were in excellent taste, even in that place
full of ladies covered with costly jewels. When I asked Celeste how the
merchants of St. Martinville could procure these costly goods, she
explained that near by there was a place named the _Butte à la Rose_ that
greatly shortened the way to market.[18] They were bringing almost
everything from London, owing to the Revolution. Between the acts many
persons came to greet Madame du Clozel. Oh, how I longed to see the friend
of Alix! But I would not ask anything; I resolved to find her by the aid
of my heart alone.
Presently, as by a magnetic power, my attention was drawn to a tall and
beautiful young lady dressed in white satin, with no ornaments except a
set of gold and sapphires, and for headdress a _résille_ the golden
tassels of which touched her neck. Ah! how quickly I recognized those
brown eyes faintly proud, that kind smile, that queenly bearing, that
graceful step! I turned to Charles du Clozel, who sat beside me, and said:
"That is the Countess de la Houssaye, isn't it?"
"Do you know her?"
"I see her for the first time; but--I guessed it."
Several times I saw her looking at me, and once she smiled. During the
last two acts she came and shook hands with us, and, caressing our hair
with her gloved hand, said her husband had seen papa's letter; that it was
from a dear friend, and that she came to ask Madame du Clozel to let her
take us away with her. Against this the baroness cried out, and then the
Countess Madelaine said to us:
"Well, you will come spend the day with me day after to-morrow, will you?
I shall invite only young people. May I come for you?"
Ah, that day! how I remember it!... Madame de la Houssaye was fully five
or six years older than Madame Carpentier, for she was the mother of four
boys, the eldest of whom was fully twelve.[19] Her house was, like Madame
du Clozel's, a single rez-de-chaussée surmounted by a mansard.... From
the drawing-room she conducted us to a room in the rear of the house at
the end of the veranda [galerie], where ... a low window let into a garden
crossed and re-crossed with alleys of orange and jasmine. Several lofty
magnolias filled the air with the fragrance of their great white
flowers....