Polynesian. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu], Hawaii) 1844-1864, 1856-08-09
From the French.
The Princess and her iosl Foot.

twilight, the most ancient thing of all is the dust
the splder-webs are more authentic than the gimps,
and the old pear-wood is younger than the mahog-
any arrived yesterday from America.
! The magazine OF my curiosity merchant was
genuine Capernaum all Centuries and ages seem
ed to have met there; an EtrusCan lamp of red clay
rested on an armoire of boule with ebony panels
radlated with flaments of copper an easy chair
OF the times OF Louis XIV carelessly extended its
fawn-llke feet under thick table of the reign of
bOuis XIII. with ieavS spirals of oak, and carved
with foliage and fanciful figures. suit of armor
from Milan was admiring in a corner the ornaments
of its cuirass proclaim nymphs aud Cupids, Chi
nese monsters, cups of Saxony and old Sevres china
encumbered the etdgereS and corners. On the fret
ted shelves Of dressers shone immense Japan wait
ers, with red and blue designs, relieved bt gilding
side by side with the enamels of Bernard de Pas-
sy, representing serpents, frogs and lizards From
the drawers of armolres peeped out Chinese silks
shot with silver, and rich brocades; portraits OF all
ages smiled through their yellow varnish in frames
more or less decayed.
The merchant followed me cautiously through
tortaous passages between piles of flfrtitllre,
checking with his hand the hazardous motion of
my coat, and watching my elbows with the uneasy
attention of the antiquary and the usurer The
merchants face singular one an immense
skull surrounded with scanty circle of gray hair
which set off to advantage bis salmon-coored skin;
gave him an ar or patriarchal benevolence, con-
tradicted by the scintlatlOns of his little yellow
eyes, which quiyered in their orbits like two golden
louis tH a ground of quicksilver. The curve of
the nose had an aquiline profile which betokened
the Oriental or Jew. His hands withered, spare
and terminating with claws like those ef a bat,
We're trenidtouS with age.
"Will you buy anything to day, sir?"
al want little figure that will serve rs paper
weight, for cannot endure those trumpery bronzes
which the statonerS sell, and which are found IN
every Office"
! The old gnome, seaEshiDs ameng the euriosities,
spread out before me antique hofSes pieces of NAL
achte, little Hndoo or Chinese idols, incarnations
of Brahma or Vishnoo. L was hesitating between
a proclaim dragon and little Mexican fetish,
when perceived chatming foot. which | took at
first for fra qpOent of antique Venus. 1t had
the reddish ana fawn-colored iists which give to
/ F'orentne bronzes warm and lively aspect far
preferable to the verdigris color of ordinary bron:
zes which might be mistaken for pertrified statues;
gloss like satin rested on its round fom polished
by the kisses of twenty centuries for this must be
COrinthian brass, a work of Oden time, perhaps
from the font of Lysippus.
"Fhis f6Ot VIII answer my purpose" said TO the
merchant, who looked at me with sly and ironic-
al air, he handed me the article that might eX
amiGe IL a, ny iEistre:
#ds stifpfised at its liglithess it was not foot
of metal. but of flesh, embalmed foot the foot
of mummy. On examining it closely, the grain
of the skin E6ild 6e distinguished and the almost
imperceptible mark of the batidases! The toes
were slender aud delicate, terminated by perfect
nails ptrG and transparent agate the great toe,
a little apart turned in the ophosite directoh
| from the Others after the antique 1iatner, which
gave It careless attitude, the delicacy of birds
foot the sole, scarcely marked with almost invsi-
bic lines, showed that it had never touched the
ground, or found itself in contact with anything
harshcr than the finest mats of ruses from the Nile,
or the softest carpets OF. panthef-skin
| " Ha! ha! you want the foot of the Princess
| IIIermonthis," said the merchant, with strange
chuckle, fixing his owl eyes in me 'ha ha ha
for paper-weight! orig al, artistic idea who
ever had told old Pharaoh that the foot of his ador
ed daughter would serve paper-weight, would
have surprised him, since he caused mountain of
granite TO be followed out that he might place in
it her triple sarcophagus painted and gilded COW
ered with hieroglyphics and beautiful pictures OF
the judgment of souls" added this singular little
merchant, IN low toice, and as if speaking to
| himself.
| "FoF how much will y6G Sell me this fragment of
a mummy %
"As dearly as possible. for it is superb NOR;
ceau if had the mate to it, you should not have
them for FIVE hundred francs the foot OF the daugh
ter of Pharaoh, nothing could be more rare"
"Assuredly 1t is not common, bat What viii you
take for it? must inform you that my whole
treasure consists of five louis will purchase to
the value Of five louis, no more, You may search
my pockets much as you please, you will find
nothing further"
Five louis for the foot of the Princess Hermon-
this 1t is very little, very little indeed; genuine
foot, said the merchant shaking his head and Civ
ing to the pupils of his eyes a rotatory motion.
"However, take it, and will give you this envel-
op BESIDES added he, rolling it in old fragment
of damask ''very beautiful damask, real Indian
danas5, WHICH has neye, been re-dyed;itis IS stroug'
substantial" muttered he, handling the frayed tissue
with that commercial habit which led Inn to praise
an article Of so little value That lie thought it only
worth gieirg away.
He placed the gold pieces III an old fashioned
purse hanging at his girdle, repeating: "The foot
of the princes Hermonthis, a paper weight - Then,
| fixing me his phosphoric pupils he said with a
voice as harsh the newing of cat which has
Just swallowed bone: "Old Pharaoh will be much
dissatisfied he loved his daughter, the dear man."
you speak as if you had been his contempora-
ry though old, you do not date far back the
pyramids of Egypt" replied |, laughing, from the
threshold of the door. =
| returned home very we'll satisfied with my ac-
QUESTION.
BY the way of putting it Into immediate use, /
placed the foot of the Princess Hemonthis on a
pile of papers, fragments of verses, an undecypher
able mosaic of scraps, articles commenced letters
forgotten and posted in the drawer error which
often bappens.to absent t-lnindea People the effect
was charming, original, romantic. Very well sat
| is6ed with this establishment descended to the
street, and began my walk with suitable gravity
and with the dignity of who has, 6Her all the
passengers whom he elbows, the neffable advan-
tage of possessing a bit of the Princess Hernon-
this, the daughter of a Pharaoh. | looked with
soserelgh contempt on all those wIru did bot, like
myself, own paper-weight so notoriousy Egyp-
tian /; and the true occupation of man of sense
appeafed to me to be the having mpmmy's foot
upon his desk. Fortunately an encounter with