Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1873-04-24

very soon taught that my own mother.
wit was as nothing when compared to
that OF my French friend.
The arrangement between Bergnet
and myself was that we were to meet
after breakfast, say about I p. M, in
the open space of the Palais Royal,
and that whoever arrived first would
wait for the other, ON one of the chairs
opposite the Cafe Velour. It was get
ting on toward IL, when the idea struck
me that would breakfast at said cafe,
and then, with cigar, coffee and that
mornings Galigndni, would pass away
the time until Bergnet should arrive,
taking in the meantime special care
that l should not be deceived again,
or, at any rate, not so easily as l had
been in the morning.
The forenoon, as it often is in the
month Of May in Paris, was warm,
though not unpleasantly hot, but quite
enough 50 to render breakfast in the
open air preferable to eating inside. /
therefore took up my quarters at one
OF the outside tables, and while order
ing my omelette and outlet of the wait.
er, seemingly very old gentleman
came up and seated himself at the next
table to me, calling for a demie.tusse,
and proceeding to read copy Of the
Figaro which he had brought with him.
Although few Englishmen have tray
eled more on the continent than myself,
have the same objection which distin-
guishes my countrymen all over the
world toward making new acauaint-
ances. Imight haye sat at my breakfast
and the old gentleman might have read
his Figaro for the whole day without
my making any advances toward him.
Having, however, finished his coffee and
taken out his portemonnaie to pay for it,
some two or three pieces of money slip
ped from the old gentleman's hand and
rolled toward my feet. l naturally
stopped and helped him to look for them;
he thanked me, paid the waiter, called
Tor petit rerre, and we naturally COM
menccd talking together. Curiously
enough, the conversation turned upon
the facility Of detecting persons who
wished to disguise themselves; the old
gentleman maintaining that, as with in-
dividuals, SO with nations, no person
could hide his peculiarities. or the pecu-
liar:ties of his race. "For instance" )" he
went on, ''let u military man dress en-
oourgeois, or a civilian put on a uniform;
Frcnchman have his clothes made in
London, or an Englishman go to a Par
isian tailor: there was no domhl but that
men OF an ordinary observance could
easily distinguish what the individual
really was. Thus" he continued, "no
one could mistake Monsieur to be any
thing but an Englishman. and one who
has most probably been in mi litary en-
ployment in his own country. In the
same way, l." meaning himself, "could
not pass for anything except a French
man, faneur, and an unmistakable
frequenter Of the boulev ards"
lie was such chatty, genial old gen.
tleman that the time passed away impcr-
ceptibly. We talked about the success
of Schneider in London; about the En-
peror's health; about the French elec-
tions, and what not. l accepted pinch
of snuff from him, and he tried one of
my regalia cigars. At last, as the time
drew near when Bergnet ought to have
made his appearance, began to look at
my watch, aud to glance round to see
whether the police agent had taken up
his quarters on any of the chairs which
were then filling very fast with the usual
aiter-breakfast coffee-drinking crowd of
well dressed middle-class Paris idlers.
Seeing l was looking for some one, my
companion said: "Perhaps Monsieur is
expecting a triend?" eyes, replied, |
~ made an appointment with q gentle- |
">'s w AASSs liz uCiC oOOut L y CiOCk,
and am afraid shall miss him in the
crowd. "Perhaps can assist Monsieur"
said The old gentleman; "Is Monsieur's
friend short srlct little man? Is his
name Bergnet9 because if SO, he is at
Monsieur's disposition"
With this the old gentleman took off
his hat, bringing away with it the gray
false side and back he wore; he straight
ened himself as he sat in his chair, and,
behold, Monsieur Bergnet was before
me. l had actually sat and talked to
him tor upward of an hour, without
having the least idea to whom it was that
Twas speaking. Rather than be bea ten
again-which felt certain would be the
case If continued to tempt fortune-I
at once gave in; paid NJ. Bergnet the
five nspoleons had lost, and begged !
that he would subject me to no more
humiliation by taking me in again as to
bis appearance and disguise. |
CHAPTER vi.
FOUND. q |