Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-04-14
from the French, by Theophile Gautier.l
LA CAFATIERE.
CHAPTER I,

L
my studio companions, Arrigo Cohic and
Pedrino Borgnioli, to pass few days at
q country house in the heart of Norman
dy. 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 a torrent. We sank
in the mud up to our knees, the soles of
our boots were clogged with thick coat
ing of clayey mud, the weight of which
retarded our steps 80 much that we did
not arrive at our destination until an
hour after sunset.
We were harassed, 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 soon as supper was over.
My chamber was vast; I felt, as en-
tered it, as it were shudder of fever,
for it seemed to me that was entering q
new world. Indeed, you might have
believed yourself in the days of the Re-
gency, to see above the panels by
Boucher, representing the four seasons,
the furniture overloaded with rocaiue
ornaments in the worst taste, and the
heavily-carved looking-glass frames.
Nothing had been disturbed. The toilet
table, covered with combs, brushes and
powder-hoxes, seemed to have been In
use an hour ago. Two or three dresses
of changing colors, fan covered with
silver spangles, lay carelessly ON the pol
ished oak floor, and to my great astonish-
ment tortoise-shell snuff-box open on
the chimney piece, was full of fresh to-
bacco.
did not notice these things until the
servant, after placing the candlestick
on the table, had wished me good night.
and, [ confess, began to tremble like a
leaf. undressed 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 me like wave, my eyelids were
drawn violently back. was obliged to
turn and see.
The blazing fire cast a red reflection in
the apartment, so that the figures of the
tapestry and of the smoky portraits hung
on the walls could be easily distinguish
ed. There were the ancestors of our
host, chevaliers swathed in iron, council
ors in periwigs, 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 [ saw clearly what 1 had
taken for vain painting was a reality,
for the eyes of these framed beings began
to move and to sparkle in strange man
ner; 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 chartered, my
body was bathed In cold sweat
The clock struck IL. The vibration of
the last stroke sang long in the air, and
when it died away entirely
Oh! no! I dare not say what
happened; no one would believe me. [
should be taken for mailman. The can
dies lighted of themselves, the bellows,
without any visible being touching 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 coffee-pot
bounded from the table on which it had
been placed, and went hobbling along
toward the fre-brands. A few minutes
afterward the armchair began to move,
and, agitating their twisted Let In sur
prising manner, came and ranged them
selves around the fire.