Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1880-04-15
La CAFETIERE,
Story from the French by TheOpiile
Gautier.

Last year / was invited, with two o.
my studio companions, Arrigo CohiC
and Pedrino Borgnioi, to pass few
few days at country house in the
heart of Normandy. The weather
which at the time of our departure
promised to be superb changed sudden
ly and so much rain fell that the roads
along which we passed were like the
bed OF q torrent. We sank in the mud
up to our knees and the soles Of our
boots were clogged with thick coating
of clayey mud, tie weight of which re.
tarded our steps so much that we did
not arrive at our destination until an
hour after sunset.
We were harrassed and so our host
seeing the efforts that we had to make
IN order to repress our yaWns and to
keep our eyes open, had us shown each
to our chamber as sOop as supper was
over.
My chamber was vast; felt, as | en-.
tered it, as it were shudder of fever
for it seemed to me that | was entering
n new world. Indeed you might have
believed yourself in the days of the
Regency, to see above the panels by
Boucher, representing the four seasons,
the furniture overloaded with rocaiAt
ornaments In the worst taste, and the
heavily carved loking-glass frames
Nothing had been disturbed. The tot.
let table covered with combs, brushes
and powder-boxes, seemed to have been
in use an hour ago. = Two or three dress.
es of changing colors, a fan covered
with silver spangles, lay carelessly on
the polished oak floor, and to my aston
isment q tortise-shell snuff-box, open
on the chimney piece, was full of fresh
tobacco.
| did not notice these things until
the servant, after placing the candle
stick on the table, had wished me good
night, and / confess, [ began to tremble
like leaf. Iundressed myself prompt
ly, went to bed, and in order to have
done with my foolish fears, / soon turn
ed my face toward the wall. But it
was impossible for me to remain in this
position; the bed began to move be-
meath me like wave, my eyelids were
drawn violently back. / was obliged to
turn and see.
The blazing fire cast q 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 ances-
tors of our host. chevaliers swathed in
iron, councillors in periwigs, and fair
ladies with painted faces and white
powdered hair, holding q rose in their
hand.
Suddenly the fire became strangely
active, bleared light illuminated the
chamber, and | saw clearly what [ had
taken for vain paintings was reality,
for the eyes of these framed beings be-
gan to move and to sparkle in strange
manner; their lips opened and closed
like the lips of people speaking, but l
heard nothing but the tictac 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 cold
sweat.
The clock struck II. The vibration
of the last stroke sang long in the air.
and when it died away entirely \
OIL no! [ dare not say
what happened; no one would believe
me. | should be taken for mailman.
The candles lighted of themselves, the
bellows, without any visible being touch
ing them, began to blow the fire, raft
ling like an asthmatic old man, while
the tengs stirred the billets of wood
and the shovel gathered up the ashes.
Then coffee-pot bounded from the
table on which it had been placed, and
went hobbling along toward the fire
brands. A few minutes afterward the
armchair began to move, and, agitating
their twisted feet in surprising manner,
came and ranged themselves around
the fire.
| did not know what to think of what
| saw, but what remained for me to see
was still more extraordinary.
One of the portraits-th the oldest of
all, that of fat, chubby, gray-bearded
man, resembling remarkably the idea
| had formed to myself of Sir John
Falstaff, pushed his head out of the
frame with 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 than
he drew from the pocket of his doublet
wonderfully small key; he blew on it
to see that the hole was clear, and then
applied it to all the frames, one after
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 in
large black robes, petitS naaitres in silk
stockings and prunello breeches-all
these persOnsges presented such an odd
spectacle that in spite of my fright l
could not help laughing. These worthy
folk sat down; the coffee-pot bounded
lightly on the table. They took coffee
in cups of blue and white Japanese
porcelain, which ran up spontaneously
from the top of secretary, each one
provided with lump of sugar and a
little silver spoon.
When the coffee had been taken,
coffee-pot, cups and spoons disappeared
all at once, and conversation began.
Sooth to say, it was the most curious
conversation that / have ever heard,
for none of these strange takers looked
at the other while he spoke; they all
had their eyes fixed upon the clock.