The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-04-29
THE DAILY STAR
LA CAFETIERH
A Curious Night Adventure in a
Norman Inn.
lTheophile Gautier.1 ]

my studio companions, Arrigo Gohic
and Pedrino Borgnioli, to pass few
days at country house in the heart of
Normandy. The weather, which at the
time of our departure promised to be
superb, changed suddenly, and so much
rain fell that the roads along which we
passed were like the bed Of torrent.
We sank in the mud up to our knees,
the soles of our boots were clogged with
4 thick coating of clayey mud, the
weight of which retarded our steps so
much that we did not arrive at our des-
tination until an hour after sunset.
We were harassed, and so our host,
seeing the efforts we had to make in Or
der TO repress our yawns and to keep our
eyes open, had us shown each to our
chamber as soon as supper was over
My chamber was vast; l felt as l en-
tered it as if it were a shudder of fever,
for it seemed to me that was entering a
new world. Indeed, you might have be-
ieved yourself in the days of the Regen-
cy, to see above the doors the panels by
Boucher, representing the four seasons,
the furniture overloaded with rocaille
ornaments of the worst taste, and the
heavily-carved looking-glass frames
Nothing had been disturbed. The
toilette table, covered with combs,
brushes and powder-boxes, seemed to
have been in use an hour ago. Two or
three dresses Of changing colors fan
covered with silver spangles, lay careless
ly on the polished oak floor, and to my
great astonishment tortoise-shell snuff
box, open on the chimney-piece, was full
of fresh tobacco,
/ did not notice these things until the
servant after placing the candlestick on
the table, had wished me goodnight,
and, 1 confess, began to tremble like a
leaf. Iundressed myself promptly, went
to bed, and in order to have done with
my foolish fears, soon closed my eyes
and turned my face toward the wall.
But it was impossible for me to remain
in this position; the bed began to move
beneath nae like wave, my eyelids We're
drawn violently back. / was obliged to
turn and see.
The blazing fire cast red reflection in
the apartment, so that the figures of the
tapestry and of the smoky portraits hung
on the walls could be easily distinguished
They were the ancestors of our host,
chevaliers swatched in iron, councillors
in perriwigs, and fair ladies with painted
faces and white-powdered hair, holding
rose in their hand.
Suddenly the fire became strangely
active; bleared light illuminated the
chamber, and I saw clearly what I had
taken for vain paintings was a reality,
for the eyes of these framed beings be-
gan to move and sparkle in strange
manner; their lips opened and closed
like the lips of people speaking, but /
heard nothing but the tic-tac of the
clock and the whistling of the autumn
wind. An insuperable terror seized me,
my hair stood on end, my teeth chat
tered, my body was bathed in a cold
sweat.
The clock struck eleven. The vibra-
ton of the last stroke sang long in the
air, and when it died entirely \ X
Oh! no! dare not say what happened; ;
no one would believe. | should be ta-
ken for madman.
The candles lighted of themselves, the
bellows, without any visible being touch
ing them, began to blow the fire, rafting
like an asthmatic old man, while the
tongs stirred the billets of wood and the
shovel gathered up the ashes. Then a
coffee-pot bounded from table on which
it had been placed, and went hobbling
along toward the fre-brands, and put
itself between the fre-brands. A few
minutes afterwards the armchair began
to move, and, agitating their twisted
feet in a surprising manner, came and
ranged themselves around the fire.
I did Hot know what to think of what
I saw, but what remained tor me to see
was still more extraordinary.
One Of the portraits-the Oldest of all
that of fat, chubby, gray-bearded man
resembling remarkably the idea I had
formed to myself of Sir John Falstaff
pushed his head out of the frame with q
grimace, and after having, with great
effort, forced his shoulders and his fair
round belly between the narrow gilded
border, he jumped down heavily.
He had no sooner taken breath thar
he drew from the pocket of his doublet
wonderfully small key; he blew in il
to see that the hole was clear, and ther
applied it to all the frames, one aftel
the other; and all the frames became
enlarged, so as to allow the figures
which they contained to pass through
With ease.
Little doll-like abbes, dry and yellow
dowagers, grave magistrates buried il
large black robes, petits maitres in sill
stockings and prunello breeches-a
these personages presented such an ode
spectacle that in spite of my fright !.
could not help laughing. These worth,
folk sat down; the coffee-po BOUNDED
lightly on to the table. They took cof
fee in cups of blue and white japanese
porcelain, which ran up spontaneously
from the top of secretary, each ON
provided with lump of sugar and
little silver spoon.
When the coffee had been taken, cof
fee-pot, cups and spoons disappeared al
at once, and conversation began. Sootl