The Louisiana cotton-boll. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], Attakapas, La.) 1872-1883, 1878-02-20
THE EFAsCINATING DUCHESS.
Mark IVAN Adventure in the Jardin MabiIe

Mark IVAN Adventure in the Jardin Mabile.
On my arrival at Paris Inquired, what
was the, best place to spend an evening,
and was told the most aristocratic place
of resort was in the Jardin Mabille. |
too cab and proceeded thither. l found
myself in beautiful garden, brilliantly
lighted. There was a crowd of ladies and
gentlemen, fine band was playing and
a quadriIle forming. While was gazing
about gentleman asked me If wished
to dance. l said l would like to, but
that I was stranger and not acquainted
with any of the nobility present. He
smiled and said the French nobility were
Eexceedingly affable and obligiUg, and that
he would be pleased to introduce me to
a lady of high rank and varied accom-
plishments. who would dance with me il
/ wished. Then he presented me to the
Duchess d d'Assafetida CHATS as near as
/ could the catch nancy.
] had never stood face to face with a
duchess beiors, and therefore felt difident
and i'll at ease. The graceful creature un-
derstood my case at once, and within
two or three minutes made me feel per-
fectly at home-more than at home, l
may say. l never met a lady so easy
to get acquainted with as she
was. 1t must require high
cultivation, enly to be attained in the
upper ranks of society, to give one such
self possession as hers. This duchess
smiled upon me in the most encouraging
way, and tapped me on the shoulder with
her fan, and then she looked up into my
face and charmed away all my embarass-
ment with burst of CHEEKY. laughter
that was full of happiness and garlic.
Next, she took my arm, beating time
to the music with her fan, and still
uttering that fragrant laughter. Next,
she put her arm around my neck. This
was somewhat unexpected, must say.
1t made me ieel blissfully uncomfortable.
1 enjoyed it, but at the same time, l was
afraid it might attract attention. init
mated as gently as 1 could, that the duke,
her father, might be in the crowd some
where; but she only laughed more
odorously than ever. Iieared the pater-
nal duke might invite me to breakfast
ON pistols and coffee. / like coffee, but
do not consider that it improves it to
mix it with hardware. This I hinted to
the duchess, and she received it with one
of those peculiar laughs of hers that was
perfectly smotheriBg. D
Just then the music struck up furi.
ously; the duchess exclaimed. !" Comet
and dashed away with me. The
crowd closed up to our set, and
walled it on every side. had never
before seen so much curiosity displayed
in mere quadrille by disinterested par.
ties. Dukes and duchesses began to
prance to and fro in the dance with wild
energy of purpose and extravaganza of
gesture.
/ began to get interested. glanced
across, my partner was just turning
she miscalculated the length other limbs
and lifted her dress accordingly; she
came prancing over; I sailed forth to
meet her, and when we were within a
yard of each other, wish may never
be believed again if she did not kick the
hat off of my head stopped to pick it
up and a noble aristocrat fell over me
others followed him-both ladies and
gentlemen-and never saw such a
chaos of struggling limbs and frantic
drspery since the benches broke down at
the circus when I was a boy. It was
lure good fortune that nobody got hurt. |
When / got cut went to my place at |
the head of the quadrille and stayed |
there. / had lost confidence; this dance |
was too high toned for me. It had |
peculiarities about it that were new and |
unexpected. / had seen plenty of qua
driiles, but / had never seen one with |
the variations before. The duchess re-
sumed her mad career, and the rest of
the nobility danced just as she did.
Each sex seemed to have but one object |
in view--to outdo its opposite in violence
Of action and eecentricity of conduct. |
These French people are very Frenchy. |
Tf Il had net known that these people |
were the flower Of the French |
nobility l should have thought that
they began their education in
a gymnasium and graduated in a circus.
The first time the duchess stopped by
my side for moment, I whispered to her
to calm her gushing spirits, not to meddle |
With her dress, and, for public opinion
AXE, not to step 80 high. said she could
get over just as much ground at q mod
rate gait; and, beside, the noble grand
luke, her father might happen along st
my moment. might as we'll have talked
70 the wind. She only laughed that
CHARACTERISTIC laugh Of hem, that silvery
augh that could recognize anywhere if
we're to the leeward, and then, bending
little, she grabbed up the sides of her
lpparel with both hands, began 70 jerk
{ to and fro in a violent manner, threw
Ter magnificent head back and skipped
uriously away on an irish Jig step, all
excitement. wild hiIarity, distracted COS
ume, frenzied motioni A spectacle to
cal the eye-oalla and TO astoniah the soul
4 hermit And when she reached the
entire she snatched her numbering dresses
rec and launched kick at the hat of q
alI nobIeman that fairly lsosened the
caIp on top Of his head. fed the scene,
xclaiming, Whist can she mean BY such
onduct as those 7"
/ admire Paris; but, in my opinion,
be ,v~,r. At sAe inability are mt vrhaf