The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-08-21
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polishing a cabinet ~ bahl, when there |
entered a lady, not young, but dis |
;ingulshed in manner Her drtNs, |
bearing the delicate odor OF I'D Pin |
auds latest perfume, proclaimed her |
: person Of fashion, possibly OF rank. |
! Her carriage and servants in livery |
| expressed, also, the rich, quiet taste !
| tlat IL usually obtained by the long |
| possession of wealth and cultivation
| Monsieur she said to Lcmoine, |
the dealer have you among your |
stock Of old stuffs fabric like this |
| sampler
"The dealer took the fabric from the |
| lady's hand examined II carefully, and |
at last said in an admiring tone:
This is the most beautiful velvet |
! brooadc that has ever fallen under my |
observation. l have never met any
thing at all resembling it. l possess |
some exquisite brocades, but not one |
to equal this. Indeed, madame, l
should say that you alone are the pos
SCISSOR of this superb stuff
But why, monsieur? I must say
that ] doubt if there was only just
enough of this brocadc made for my
great grandmother from whom it came
to us. and, if we have so carefully
preserved it, why should not some
other family have done the same? I
require twenty-five yards. If you will
procure it for me, will pay you five
| hundred francs the yard, or even more
If the expense attending the search
makes ii necessary
EThen the lady told Monsieur Le-
moine that perhaps he would better
understand how important the matter
| tn IL ch int IN
tails. She said that she was the Mar
quise de Rayonne de Cluny, and that
she possessed in her chateau of that
| name a chamber called the brown
room which was entirely appointed
| in brocaded tissue like that which he
held in his hand, the window cur
tains and convertures, arm-chairs, the
preu-dieu, all We're of this exquisite
fabric Louis XIV, Charles ", and
many princes of foreign royal fami
lies, nuncioS of the pope, cardinals,
marshals-all had slept in this brown
chamber. 1t was. the pride of her hus-
band and herself to preserve the as
pect of this room for her descen-
dants as they had received it from
their ancestors. A recent fire had
taken place at the chateau, and the
flames had burst through one of the
windows and utterly destroyed the cur
tains, To repair the damage it would
require twenty-five yards of material.
~ regret extremely to disappoint
you, madame said Monsieur Lemoine,
but it would be holding out false hopes
to say could obtain ii for you. / have
had a long experience in my business,
possess a retentive memory, and l
have never met with a fabric like it.
and to get the identical thing will,
fear be impossible. Besides, | be-
leve that in the first place it was
unique. I can give you stuffs very like
it in design and color in a tissue of our
own period.
An imitation you mean mon
sieur? That would not do at all
VERY well Madame la Marquise, |
will take your order and institute a
search, but do not hold out any great
hopes of success
In an obscure corner of the shop l
was still working away on the buhl
cabinet and l had overheard all that
had been said. l was greatly interest
ed. and would have liked nothing bet
ter than to have seen and felt that
lovely fabric Incompatible and so
precious, but l was only 10, naturally
| ltlIlIlS, anu lneIt was HOlnlnR III
either my position in life or my man
ners to commend me to a fine lady or
to put one forward in any way.
IAN at once Monsieur Lemoine inter-
rupted my busy thoughts.
Lamotte. como here. if you please
II left the cabinet and approached
him. The dealer met me half way,
holding out the beautiful brocade.
isn't this lovely stuff
"It is indeed lovely replied. as
beautiful as if woven by the Blessed
Lady from silk spun at her own wheel,
and marvellous, too. I am inclined to
think, monsieur, as does Madame la
Marquise, that it might be found in
some old chateau or some place in the
provinces, where the family might
part with it if it We're made worth
their while
IF you think so, my friend. said
the dealer, why not undertake this
commission yourself? 1t is more fit
for your legs than mine. which have
done me siXty-hve years of service
: 81 replied that my work confined
me to my shop, and thar I had no
leisure left excepting on Sunday, to
make the search.
Monsieur said the Marquise de la
, | Rayonne de Cluny, turning to me,
what sum do you earn a day
, Five francs, Madame la Mar
, Quise,'
, Eth, blen! will undertake to give
you five francs a day; and, instead
OF working in the shop all day long,
which must be exceedingly monoton-
a Gus and, of course, confirming you can
traverse Paris in search of the brown
brocaded velvet 1t is also understood
!. that If any trips outside of Paris are
/ necessary I will pay the expense
! Then she added. smiling: But We
7 must put a limit 10 this piece of ex-
travagance, and say that II after six
! months search you have not found the
: tissue, we must admit with Monsieur
= Lemoine that my brocade is unique
: and exists nowhere out of the chateau
de Rayonne'
. THE marquise gave me the sample
k saying that she would not accent any
e thing merely approaching 1t closely OF
initiating II, but only the identical
fabric woven at the same LOOM She
n added that II | found the fabric, mus.
q at once send a sample OF 1t to heI
e chateau in Normandy, the address OF
= which she gave me; or, still better
n bring il myself
,, Il have often thought, as recall the
d sweet and affable manner Of this beau
d tiful and cultured woman and hel
= kindness TO poor lad, how unjust 4
Is to call people above us in rank hare
4, and proud and slasping, because theil